11 Best Plants to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden

Found throughout North America, bee balm is a favorite among hummingbirds, thanks to its open, tubular blooms and vivid colors. You’ll love this cheerful perennial, too, for its bright red, pink, purple, or white flowers that also attract bees and butterflies. Bee balm thrives in sunny spots with moist, rich soil. For containers, choose a dwarf variety to ensure a comfortable fit.

Part of the mint family, this sun-loving plant features delicate, lacy flowers in soft shades of white, pink, or lavender-blue. Catmint pairs beautifully with roses, tulips, and other tall plants, adding texture and contrast to garden beds or containers. While its subtle lavender scent draws in insect pollinators, it’s the soft-hued, nectar-rich flowers that appeal to hummingbirds. Plus, its easygoing and drought-tolerant nature makes catmint one of the best low-maintenance plants for any sunny outdoor space.

A standout in the buttercup family, this plant is a favorite for its whimsical, jester’s cap-shaped blooms. Columbine comes in a wide range of colors—including red, yellow, white, blue, pink, salmon, and purple—bringing cheerful variety to any garden. It thrives in partial shade and adapts easily to different soil types and growing zones, making it a versatile choice for every landscape.

Coral bells, another North American native, are well-known for attracting hummingbirds with their tube-like blooms. While they traditionally feature green foliage and pink flowers, modern varieties offer a rainbow of colors—rose, purple, lime green, gold, and everything in between. These eye-catching perennials are late bloomers, typically making their appearance in late spring, but they more than earn their spot in any hummingbird-friendly garden.

Closely related to the tobacco plant, flowering tobacco produces fragrant blooms in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors—including green, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow. Its vivid hues and nectar-filled flowers attract hummingbirds, while the sweet fragrance appeals to both people and insect pollinators. Compact varieties work well in containers, while larger ones add bold color to garden borders and beds.

Larkspur, also known as delphinium, gets its name from the Greek word for “dolphin,” inspired by the shape of its flower buds. While a bit more finicky to grow than some other plants on this list, larkspur rewards your effort with stunning, spiky blooms in shades of blue, purple, white, and lavender. With over 300 species—including annuals, biennials, and perennials—larkspur promises a vibrant, recurring display in your garden year after year.

The petunia, a garden staple and hummingbird favorite, comes in two main types: grandiflora and multiflora. Grandiflora petunias produce large, showy blooms perfect for planters, while multiflora varieties produce smaller, abundant flowers that thrive in both garden beds and containers. Petunias are heat-tolerant and available in a rainbow of color options—such as white, red, pink, purple, and yellow—bringing bold, lasting color to any outdoor setting.

For eye-catching blooms that last all summer long, red hot pokers (also known as torch lilies or poker plants) are an ideal choice. These hardy perennials are drought- and heat-tolerant, making them well-suited for warmer southern climates. Although best known for their fiery red blooms, they also come in shades of yellow, coral, and cream. Red hot pokers are another favorite among hummingbirds, offering nectar-filled flowers that are as irresistible to wildlife as they are stunning in the garden.

Scarlet sage is a dependable, long-blooming plant that is sure to draw hummingbirds to your backyard. Its tubular flowers bloom in beautiful shades of pink, white, and red—colors hummingbirds can’t resist. Scarlet sage is relatively low maintenance and reaches heights of two to four feet. In containers, it may require daily watering, but the reward is a summer full of delightful blooms and frequent hummingbird visits.

Trumpet honeysuckle is the only vine on our list, and it’s a favorite for attracting hummingbirds. This climber puts on a beautiful display of orange, red, or pink flowers from early spring through late summer. After flowering, trumpet honeysuckles produce small red berries. Whether climbing a trellis or lattice, or spilling from a hanging basket or container, its gracefully arching form and vivid blooms are sure to catch the attention of hummingbirds passing by.

Verbena is a drought-tolerant favorite that delivers bright blooms throughout the summer. With varieties ranging from ground-hugging trailers to upright forms, there’s a perfect option for every garden or planter. Verbena produces clusters of small flowers in shades of red, pink, purple, blue, and lilac. While you enjoy its lively display, pollinators—including hummingbirds and butterflies—will appreciate the steady supply of nectar.