Now is the time to welcome hummingbirds!!

Hummingbird Attracting Plants

Compiled by Gary Phillips, wildlife biologist and hummingbird researcher

Hummingbirds are often referred to as Nature’s flying jewels. They are truly

fascinating creatures, and are perhaps the best known and most loved of all North American birds. Their inquisitive nature and intimate relationship with nectar-producing flowering plants, along with a willingness to feed from artificial feeders, allows them to be easily attracted to a garden. Following is a list of plants that are well-adapted to cultivation in the coastal plain of SC and are proven food sources for hummingbirds.

SC Native plant species:

Coast Azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum) - perennial

Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) - perennial

Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea) - perennial

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) - perennial

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) - perennial

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) - perennial

Cross Vine (Anisostichus capreolata) - perennial

Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) – annual

Butterfly Weed (Aesclepias tuberosa) - perennial

Non-native plant species:

Salvia (Sage): there are literally hundreds of species and varieties of Salvia.

Some are annual, some perennial; some are excellent hummingbird plants, some are better suited to butterflies. Most salvias do well in the coastal plain of SC with minimal attention. This list is by no means exhaustive, but represents a few ‘tried and true’ varieties attractive to hummingbirds in the coastal plain of SC.

Brazilian Sage (Salvia guaranitica) – hardy perennial

Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) – hardy perennial

Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha) – hardy perennial

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) - perennial

Royal Sage (Salvia regla) – hardy perennial

Cherry Sage (Salvia microphylla) –hardy perennial

Hardy Mexican Sage (Salvia darcyi) – hardy perennial

Eyelash-leaved Sage (Salvia blepharophylla) – tender perennial

Rosebud Sage (Salvia involucrata) - perennial

VanHouttei Sage (Salvia splendens VanHouttei) – tender perennial

Forsythia Sage (Salvia madrensis) – tender perennial

Salvia X “Indigo Spires” – hardy perennial

Salvia  X “Anthony Parker” – tender perennial (a hybrid discovered by Ms. Frances Parker of Beaufort, SC)

Big Texas Sage (Salvia penstemonoides) - perennial

Scarlet Sage (Salvia splendens) - annual

Texas Sage (Salvia coccinea) – annual

Other plants:

Hummingbird Bush (Hamelia patens) – perennial

Hummingbird Plant (Dicliptera suberecta) - perennial

Firespike (Odontonema strictum) – tender perennial

Desert Honeysuckle (Anisicanthus wrightii) - perennial

Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis) – perennial

Coral Porterweed (Stachytarpheta mirabilis) – perennial

Mexican Petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) - perennial

Red Ruellia (Ruellia elegans) – tender perennial

Firecracker Plant (Russellia equistiformis) – tender perennial

Cigar Plant (Cuphea micropetala) - perennial

Cigarette Plant (Cuphea ignea, ‘David Verity’) - perennial

Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. Drummondii) – perennial

Giant Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. penduliflorus) - perennial

Agastache “Tutti fruitti” - tender perennial

Devil’s Tears (Phygelius X rectus) – perennial

Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeanna) - perennial

Flowering Maple – (Abutilon pictum) - perennial

Pentas – (use taller, older varieties for hummers) - (Pentas lanceolatas) - annual

Lantana (use taller varieties for hummers) – (Lantana camara) - perennial

Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia sp.) – annual

Mexican Milkweed, Bloodflower (Aesclepias currasavica)

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) – annual

Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea X multifida) - annual

Red Morning-glory (Ipomoea coccinea) - annual

Abelias (Abelia sp.) – perennial

Camellias (Camellia sasanqua, C. japonica) - perennial

Silk Tree, Mimosa Tree (Albrizzia julibrisson) - perennial

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii) – perennial

Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) - perennial

Zinnias - annual

4-o’clocks – perennial

Equally important to attracting hummingbirds are trees and shrubs that provide cover for perching, nesting sites, and places to forage for insect prey.

Hummingbirds CANNOT live on nectar alone; approximately 50% of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird diet may be tiny insects. Good cover plants should be as tall as possible and include:

Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

Camellias (Camellia sp.)

Azaleas (Rhododendron sp.)

Hollies (Ilex sp.)

Oaks, esp. Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

Pines (Pinus sp.)

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)

Hackberry (Celtis laevigatis)

NOTE: chemical insecticides/poisons should never be used in a hummingbird/butterfly garden. At least 50% of a hummingbird’s diet is tiny insect prey, much of which is gleaned from flowers. Butterflies are insects, and some will lay eggs on garden plants. The larvae (caterpillars) will eat the leaves (sometimes the stems and flowers as well.)  If you kill the caterpillars, you destroy the next generation of butterflies (or moths, which are highly important components of our ecosystems.) You have the most powerful pesticide on earth between your gloved thumb and forefinger.

Suggested Reading:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Robert (Bob) Sargent)

Hummingbird Gardens (Barbara Neilson and Nancy Newfield)

A New Book of Salvias (Betsy Clebsch)

Peterson’s Field Guide to the Hummingbirds of North America (Sheri Williamson)

North American Hummingbirds (Steven N. G. Howell)

The Hummingbirds of North America (Paul Johnsgard)

For further information or to report hummingbird observations, contact:

Gary Phillips

Hummingbird researcher

843.248.4595

carolinensis@yahoo.com

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