Attracting Hummingbirds

Attracting Hummingbirds

Hummingbird season has begun and usually lasts between mid-March through November. Now is the time to put out your feeders, stock up on food and let the hum begin! Hummingbirds can be tricky to attract, but follow these few simple pointers to make your yard more attractive!

Hummingbirds, like other birds and animals, need food, water, and shelter, the basic necessities of life. Shelter and protection are important to attracting hummingbirds. The dense foliage of trees provides not only protection but also a source of insects and the protein they provide. Trees and large shrubs provide a resting place between meals at the feeder or flowers.

Feeding Requirements

The hummingbird’s diet consists of nectar from flowers. Did you know red is the favorite color? They also enjoy small insects such as aphids or spiders, and sometimes even pollen and sap. They feed in many small meals, consuming small invertebrates and up to twelve times their own body weight in nectar each day. Many plant species rely on hummingbirds for pollination and provide nectar and tiny insects in exchange.

Landscape and Flowers That Attract

Favorite flowers of hummingbirds are tubular in shape. This makes it easier for them to eat. Plant flowers, shrubs, and trees that help the hummingbirds acquire the nectar and food they need to thrive. Here are a few flower recommendations for your garden:

Butterfly bushes usually bloom from mid-July through frost, producing long 4-5 inch flower spikes which look and smell like miniature lilacs.

Buddleias produce a honey-scented fragrance that lures butterflies to its blooms, and then once there, they find the flowers super-rich in nectar.

Lantanas are perennials and will flower in full sun or light shade, preferably in well-drained soil. As semi-desert natives, they bloom best when not overfed or over watered.

Hope you see some hummingbirds soon!