Discover which plants attract Hummingbirds
When designing a garden to support hummingbirds, it’s not just about beauty — it’s about sustainability. By selecting nectar-rich plants like hummingbird bushes, vines, and other native flowering species, you help fuel these incredible pollinators on their long journeys and daily flights.
Most hummingbird-friendly plants thrive in full sun with well-drained soil, but some adapt beautifully to partial shade. By filling your garden with these vital plants, you create a living, thriving ecosystem that supports not just hummingbirds but the broader web of pollinators essential to healthy landscapes.
Every plant you add is a step toward protecting biodiversity and sustaining the delicate balance our environment depends on.
Plants That Fuel Our Powerful Pollinators
Agastache - Pink Pearl
A pollinator magnet with soft pink blooms and a dense, compact habit ideal for containers and tight spaces. Blooms from late spring to frost.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Compact form - 16" Height and Width
- Attracts Bees, Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Agastache - Kudos Red
This compact Agastache stands out for its vibrant red blooms and exceptional resistance to cold, pests, and disease. A hummingbird favorite, it thrives in sunny spots and reblooms when deadheaded.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Compact form - 17" to 20" Height
- Attracts Hummingbirds
Agastache - Summerlong™ Lilac
Covered in magenta-purple blooms, this early-flowering favorite lures butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Perfect for patio containers and sunny borders.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Compact form - 16" to 22" Height and Width
- Attracts Bees & Hummingbirds
Agastache Dwarf - Poquito™ Butter Yellow
This butter-yellow bloomer brings minty fragrance, summer-long color, and hummingbird activity. Its compact form fits snugly into small gardens or pots.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Dwarf - 13" Height
- Attracts Hummingbirds
Aloe - Safari Orange
Big, brilliant orange flower spikes light up this compact aloe, blooming again and again. Upright, spreading succulent with soft-toothed green leaves. Heat- and drought-tolerant, perfect for rock gardens or mass plantings. Evergreen.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full to Partial Sun
- Size: 12–18 in. H, 40 in. W (36 in. in Bloom)
- Attracts Hummingbirds, Easy Care, Pest & Disease Resistant, Waterwise, Fast Growing, Compact Form
Alstroemeria - Rock & Roll® Peruvian Lily
An award-winning combo of vivid scarlet-orange blooms and striking variegated foliage — creamy white leaves with green edges. Blooms continuously from spring to fall, making it a standout in landscapes or containers. Herbaceous perennial.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full to Partial Sun
- Size: 5 ft. H, 6–8 ft. W
- Photo Credit: ©Monrovia DoreenWynja.com photography
Chilopsis - Sweet Bubba Desert Willow
A low-maintenance tree for hot, dry climates. Larger, fragrant magenta flowers bloom from spring to fall, without producing messy seed pods. A pollinator favorite and striking landscape focal point. Deciduous.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Size: 15–20 ft. H, 12–18 ft. W
- Attracts Hummingbirds, Easy Care, Waterwise
Cuphea - Itsy Bitsy® Lilac False Heather
A low-growing, lilac-blooming evergreen ideal for containers or borders. Loved for its tidy form and ease of care.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full to Partial Sun
- Compact form: 8–12 ft. H
- Nearly Year-Round Blooms
Heuchera - Balboa Sunset®
Cool-green and purple wavy leaves with wine-red undersides grow upright on this compact beauty — a great choice for containers or front borders. Herbaceous perennial.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Partial Sun
- Size: 7 in. H, 14 in. W
- Attracts Hummingbirds, Non-toxic to Cats & Dogs
- Photo Credit - © Monrovia by DoreenWynja.com photography
Hibiscus - Brilliant
This fiery red hibiscus delivers the garden’s boldest color! Huge flowers brighten up distant views or create a stunning focal point near entries. Vigorous and lush, ideal for covering walls or gaps. Frost-tender evergreen.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Size: 12 ft. H, 6 ft. W
- Attracts Hummingbirds, Non-toxic to Cats & Dogs, Fast Growing
Honeysuckle - Hall's Japanese
(Lonicera japonica 'Halliana') Fragrant yellow and white blooms cover this vigorous vine, making it a top choice for fences, walls, or as a shrubby groundcover. Fast-growing, even in poor soils. Semi-evergreen or deciduous, depending on climate.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full to Partial Sun
- Size: 15–30 ft. Tall (with Support)
- Attracts Hummingbirds, Easy Care, Ornamental Berries, Waterwise, Fast Growing
Jacaranda - Bonsai Blue
A true dwarf jacaranda with large, deep purple tubular blooms and bright green, fern-like foliage. Perfect as a specimen tree, border accent, or container feature. Heat- and drought-tolerant, semi-evergreen, and easy to prune.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Size: 10–12 ft. H, 6–8 ft. W
Kniphofia - Poco™ Orange Hot Poker
A long-blooming, dwarf variety perfect for tight spaces. Vibrant orange spikes with red tips bloom nonstop from summer to fall. Deer-resistant grass-like foliage adds lively texture.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Size: 14 in. H, 21 in. W (16 in. in Bloom)
- Attracts Hummingbirds, Easy Care, Waterwise, Non-toxic to Cats & Dogs, Compact Form
Salvia - Apex™ Blue Meadow Sage
Dense, compact clumps topped with intense blue-violet flower spikes. A standout in mixed borders.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Size: 18" Height and Width
- Attracts Hummingbirds
Salvia - Heatwave™ Blast Sage
Salmon-pink flowers bloom nonstop over fragrant foliage. Heat and drought tolerant, ideal for waterwise landscapes.
- Monrovia® Grow Beautifully
- Full Sun
- Size: 30" Height and 36" Width
- Attracts Hummingbirds & Bees
Monrovia Landcape Designs
Looking to transform your outdoor space into a hummingbird paradise? Below you’ll find a collection of beautiful, easy-to-follow garden designs — perfect for attracting and supporting these amazing pollinators. Whether you’re working with a full garden or just a small container, there’s something here for you.
Bonus: Each design is available as a downloadable PDF, so you can save or print them for your weekend project. Look for the download link at the bottom of each section!
Monrovia® Hummingbird Weekend Project
- Flower groupings: Plant several of the same tall, spiky bloom together to create a vivid, nectar-rich feeding zone for hummingbirds.
- Eye-catching container: Place a striking planter near your seating area to draw hummingbirds up close. Opt for a drought-tolerant succulent for less frequent watering and easy care.
- Trumpet-shaped blooms: Tuck in clusters of tubular flowers along the border — they act like natural mini-feeders, perfectly designed for slender hummingbird beaks.
- Bright shrubs: Anchor the ends of your border with colorful flowering shrubs to provide structure and extra bursts of color.
To download this design: Hummingbird Weekend Project
Monrovia® Hummingbird Container
You can welcome hummingbirds to any outdoor space — even if all you have room for is a single planter. This setup combines three beloved flowering plants with a lush, low-maintenance filler to create a vibrant, hummingbird-friendly display.
- Bold, vibrant blooms: Large flowers in eye-catching reds, yellows, and oranges signal hummingbirds to pause and refuel.
- Delicate greenery: Soften the look with fine-textured foliage that gently spills over the container’s edges, complementing the bold blooms.
- Trumpet-shaped blossoms: These tubular flowers act as natural hummingbird feeders, perfectly suited for their long, slender beaks.
- Nectar-rich clusters: Plants with small flower clusters create a high-reward feeding spot while adding an unexpected pop to your container design.
To download this design: Hummingbird Container
Monrovia® Hummingbird Haven
Invite a lively crowd of hummingbirds by planting varieties that offer both nourishment and shelter. Choose colors you love — after all, this garden should delight you as much as it supports them. Aim for blooms across all seasons while hummingbirds are present in your area, so your garden stays open as a welcoming feeding stop as long as possible.
Habitat Plants
- Soft surroundings: Large but airy plants, like ornamental grasses, create a sense of safety, and their thin stems are perfect for hummingbirds’ tiny feet to perch on. Plant these along the garden’s edges to gently define the space.
- Vertical vines: Elevate your hummingbird garden by adding a flowering vine, introducing height and an overhead layer that makes the space feel even more dynamic.
- Wispy weave-ins: Use delicate, smaller foliage plants to soften walkway edges and weave a graceful ribbon of green throughout the garden.
Food Sources
Points 4, 5, 6, and 8 on the diagram
Hummingbirds love nectar-filled flowers in bright reds, yellows, and oranges. Choosing plants that also support beneficial insects and other pollinators helps create a diverse, healthy ecosystem right in your backyard. These insects provide essential protein for baby birds and offer natural pest control, making them a key part of a thriving garden.
7. A Purple Surprise
Surprised to see purple here? Many purple-flowering plants — including sage (salvia), penstemon, and hosta — are top hummingbird favorites and add beautiful variety and contrast to your planting palette.
To download this design: Hummingbird Haven
Even More Hummingbird Plants...
Below is an extensive list of the more popular plants that attract hummingbirds in the Bay Area: Please Note: Not all plants are available at all times of the year. Selection may vary by location. For availability, please contact the SummerWinds locations nearest you.
Full Sun
- California Fuchsia (Epilobium canum)
- All Salvia (Salvia divinorum)
- Salvia Gregii
- Salvia Leucantha
- Manzanita (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
- Citrus – Orange and Lemon
- Beardtongue (Penstemon)
- Mock Orange (Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’)
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
- Licorice Mint Hyssop (agastache rupestris)
- Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis)
- Bottlebrush (Callistemon)
- Bee Balm (Monarda)
- Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)
- Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii)
- Blue Sage (Salvia clevelandii)
- Larkspur – Delphinium
- Foxgloves (Digitalis)
- Lilies (Lilium)
- Pentas
- Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia)
- Scarlet Sage (Salvia cocinea)
- Tobacco Plant (Nicotiana tabacum)
- Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
- Weigela
- Rocktrumpet (Mandevilla)
Part Sun To Shade
- Island Snapdragon (Galvezia speciosa)
- Fuchsia-Flowering Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum)
- California Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
- Western Columbine (Aquilegia Formosa)
- Sasanqua Camellia (Camellia Sasanqua)
- Pink Honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)
- Fuchsia (Fuchsia hybrida)
California's Hummingbirds
For a list of hummingbirds in the Bay area, visit our friends at Audubon California, http://ca.audubon.org/
At SummerWinds Nursery, our Trusted Garden Advisors can help you select the best plants to make the most of your hummingbird habitat. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service, our knowledgeable staff and the highest quality plants. With the right guide, you will have a thriving hummingbird garden in no time at all!
Visit your local SummerWinds, where We Guarantee Success!
