PERENNIALS & GROUND COVERS

Penstemon and Crocosmia are two of the many perennials that will attract hummingbirds to your garden. Photos courtesy of Skagit Gardens.

If you’d like your garden to be a magnet for hummingbirds, you’ll find plenty of perennials that will do the trick. Agastache, a.k.a. hummingbird mint, is an obvious choice. These small - and fragrant - blooms are a big draw for hummers. Prolific-blooming salvias are another good nectar source. Pretty ‘Hot Lips’ and rich-looking ‘Black and Blue’ salvias are two possibilities. Also, those tall bloomers, Crocosmia, are definitely on the list. The flowers of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ are a striking red - they’re sure to invite some attention.

It’s no secret that fuchsias are hummingbird favorites. Phlox, Penstemon, and Phygelius will also draw them in, as will perennial Lobelia (cardinal flower). Monarda - or bee balm - will not only attract bees but hummers as well. And the perennial known as whirling butterflies (Gaura), is also an attractor. The teeny-tiny towers of flowers on the end of Heucheras are a somewhat surprising source of nectar, as are the extra-large spikes of blooms on Knifophia (a.k.a. red hot poker or torchlily).

With carefully planned-out perennial beds, you can have hummingbirds zipping around your yard, from bloom to bloom, for several months without any need to “fill up” at the local hummer feeder. There are also plenty of colorful annuals that will help entice hummingbirds to visit your yard. Be sure to read our website’s page on Annuals for a list of specific plants. You’ll also find there some interesting facts about hummingbirds.

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