After decades of cultivating my garden to attract hummingbirds, I’ve discovered certain plants are absolute magnets for these aerial jewels. These aren’t just random pretty flowers – they’re time-tested favorites that have turned my backyard into a hummingbird haven.

Here are 10 plants that will have these delightful visitors fighting for territory in your garden.

1. Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Honeysuckle: You might be hard-pressed to find a flower that just feels like a hummingbird flower than trumpet honeysuckle, also known as coral honeysuckle, most prominently native in the Atlantic States, from Maine down to Florida. The trumpet-shaped flowers of the honeysuckle vine are a favorite of all types of hummingbirds.

You can often find these vines growing wild in woods or along fences.

2. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

A garden with a diversity of flowers and some small trees and shrubs for cover and rest is a great way to attract hummingbirds. Hummingbirds especially love Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis), which are native to Kentucky.

Another Kentucky native that is easy to grow is Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). They are annuals that grow two kinds of flowers and are a favorite of hummingbirds.

Ideally, it is best to provide hummingbirds with native plants and a wildlife-friendly garden for food. Hummingbirds will appreciate the insects and will also love native nectary plants.

Consider planting, for example, Lobelia, Cardinal flower, Eastern columbine, and bee balm. Brightly-colored tubular flowers are among those that hummingbirds will love.

3. Native Salvia Species

One of the best hummingbird-attracting plants is the Black-and-Blue Salvia, a gorgeous cobalt-blue annual.

Salvia Coccinea is a more affordable salvia than Black-and-Blue. It thrives in both full sun and partial shade.

4. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) is an interesting-looking, spiky flower that hummingbirds love.

It will seed itself in your garden and you can divide it every three to four years. One beebalm species commonly associated with hummingbirds is scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma).

It’s native to the Pacific Northwest states as well as most of the eastern and midwestern United States.

5. Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea)

We’ve dedicated a special article to exploring the best flowers to attract hummingbirds here. Some of the highlights include Bee Balm (Bergamot), Cardinal Flower, Columbine, Coral Bells, Hollyhocks, Zinnias, and Impatiens.

Perennials that attract hummingbirds include bee balm, blazing star, butterfly weed, cannas, the cardinal flower, carpet bugles, coral bells, four o-clocks, lantana, penstemon, phlox, salvia, dianthus, and verbena.

6. Penstemon (Beardtongue)

When flowers are in bloom, hummingbirds feed on bright, tubular flowers like columbine, scarlet gilia, penstemon, Indian paintbrush, mints, lilies, fireweeds, larkspurs, and currants as their source of nectar.

7. Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris)

These tall annuals produce clusters of long, white tubular flowers that release their fragrance in evening hours. They’re especially valuable because hummingbirds will visit them right up until dusk.

Plant them near your patio to enjoy the evening hummingbird show while you relax.

8. Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Western columbine: Hummingbirds love a downward-facing tubular-like western columbine. For those in other states, other columbine species are native to the rest of the country, such as eastern columbine.

Eastern Columbine, Turtlehead, Blazing star, Cardinal Flower, Blue Lobelia, Wild Lupine, Virginia bluebells, Monarda species, Beards Tongue, False Dragonhead, Bowman’s Root, and Wild Petunias are among a few of the dozens of excellent native flowers for hummingbirds.

9. Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Another native vine that’s worth its weight in gold for hummingbird gardens. Its clusters of coral-red tubular flowers bloom heavily in spring with sporadic blooms throughout summer.

Train it on an arbor or fence where you can watch hummingbirds visit from a comfortable seat nearby.

10. Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus)

This annual vine serves double duty – providing both beautiful flowers and edible beans. The bright red blooms are hummingbird favorites, and the quick growth provides excellent coverage for arbors and trellises.

I plant them every spring, and they never fail to attract hummingbirds all season long.

Hummingbird plants our writers name

Spec	What our writers say
Trumpet honeysuckle	Also called coral honeysuckle; native from Maine to Florida
Honeysuckle vine	Trumpet-shaped flowers; often wild in woods or along fences
Cardinal flower	Lobelia cardinalis, a Kentucky native hummingbirds especially love
Plant with it	Jewelweed, Eastern columbine, and bee balm
Salvia	Black-and-Blue Salvia; Salvia coccinea in sun or part shade
Bee balm	Monarda didyma, a spiky flower that seeds itself; divide every 3-4 years
Scarlet beebalm	Native to the Pacific Northwest and most of the East and Midwest
Coral bells	Listed with bee balm, cardinal flower, columbine, and penstemon
Penstemon	A bright tubular nectar flower used with columbine and paintbrush
Columbine	Western columbine is downward-facing; eastern columbine covers other states

Keep reading

• 12 Native Plants That Attract Hummingbirds Better Than Feeders
• Grow These 9 Plants to See Hummingbirds Every Day
• 11 Simple Changes That Turned My Empty Backyard into a Hummingbird Paradise