When planning a garden, the most important plants you should consider including are nectar plants! Not only will they attract pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies to your yard but their sweet scents also lure other beneficial insects that help maintain healthy plant ecosystems.
When there are more pollinating animals in your garden, these creatures find flowering plants like cucumbers, tomatoes beans and more which need them for fruit bearing.
Pollinator-friendly gardens keep our entire ecosystem thriving. Before we explore some of the most common nectar plants that attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators lets learn a little more about these fascinating flowers.
What Is a Nectar Plant?
Butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects gather around flowering plants to sip up the delicious energy-rich nectar they produce.
Nectar is a great source of nutrients for these animals: it contains water, antioxidants, minerals like calcium and phosphorus which are important in building healthy bones; vitamins essential for growth such as vitamin A (for eyesight) or B12(essential protein); 15% sugar that provides fast bursts of energy! Hummingbirds are a delightful creature that have many sweet-tooth’s.
They love nectar, and they chow down on it with delight! However, there some plants provide better than others: while all plant produce the sticky substance for one reason or another, these particular varieties of flowers make hummingbirds happy because their higher concentrations can sustain larger pollinators like themselves.
Different species of butterflies also prefer different sources – for example monarchs enjoy milkweed and zinnia more so than other kinds – but whatever kind you grow will attract them to your garden if you keep an eye out!
Plants That Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are drawn to bright and colorful flowers, especially the color red. They also like long shaped blooms that fit their bills perfectly.
Hummingbirds prefer native plants over cultivated ones so it’s important for us to focus on those wild species rather than just planting what is easiest or looks nice in our garden beds. The most beautiful and desirable plants are those that provide food for the hummingbirds all year long.
Flowers with a long blooming period or repeat blooming will also provide birds (and other pollinators) with a consistent food supply, since flowers are their main source of nourishment come summertime.
It is best to plant a variety of nectar-producing plants opposed to just one type–variety provides different nutrients from various sources so it’s important not only for humans; we should follow suit in cultivating gardens abundantly full of many colors!
If you’re in the market for a new garden, consider adding some of these features to your yard! Hummingbirds will love it.
- Provide enough space between your nectar plants so that hummingbirds can navigate easily around your garden or yard.
- Consider adding in other trees, shrubs, and vinery that grow at various heights to provide a safe habitat for the birds.
- Hummingbirds love running water, so if you have a running water birdbath, that’s a bonus!
If you live in an apartment or have a small yard, try adding these nectar-rich flowers to your deck and porch. Add them inside large hanging pots, vertical planters or window boxes which will attract hummingbirds and pollinators!
You should also be careful to wash your hummingbird feeder regularly because they are sensitive to mold and sugar water is toxic. If you use a dye, it could potentially kill the little birdies that come for some food!
10 Nectar Plants That Attract Hummingbirds & Other Pollinators
Which flowers will make your garden the most attractive to local wildlife? Find out what blooms attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Every garden needs pollinators, and there are many plants that you can plant to help them thrive.
I’ll outline why they’re beneficial for the good of these important insects, give some growing tips for each type of plant as well as tell you about any companion plants with which it will work best! The hummingbirds are a sight to behold in the summer.
If you want to experience their beauty or just provide an energy source for pollinators, consider planting some of these flowers that produce high amounts of nectar:
1. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Bee Balm is a perennial nectar plant that attracts pollinators of all sorts including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The flower has an open daisy-like shape with tubular petals which can accommodate the long beaks on these helpful birds as they sip from the flowers many sweet little drops. Bee balms are known to have medicinal purposes too; cures for stomach pains or constipation when brewed in tea form! Nevertheless, you don’t need to keep planting this lovely flower year after year because it will come up again each time without any help at all (you just planted once). The plant will grow healthier and be more productive if it’s divided every three to four years. You should also pick the flowers frequently, which can help encourage a new crop of blooms!
Bee Balm Growing Tips:
- Type: Perennial in zones 4 to 9
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart
- Plant Size: 3 to 4 feet tall; 18 to 36 inches wide
- Companions: Phlox, eupatorium, rudbeckia, Echinacea
2. Calibrachoa (Calibrachoa parviflora)
Calibrachoa, also known as Million Bells is an incredibly fast-growing flower that makes a wonderful addition to outdoor containers. The flowers are sun loving annuals and come in many colors such as oranges, yellows, purples red and whites! These plants do great with some organic fertilizer every now and then but if they start looking droopy or dying off you can always clip them back for fresh new growth.
Calibrachoa Growing Tips:
- Type: Annual in zones 9 to 11
- Soil Needs: Rich, moist soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 6 to 12 inches apart
- Plant Size: 8 to 10 inches tall; 12 to 14 inches wide
- Companions: Angelonia, coralbells, loosestrife
3. Cleome (Cleome Hassleriana)
For those looking to attract bees and other pollinators, cleome is a great plant choice. It flowers for months on end so it will provide nectar throughout the growing season. Deadheading any dying blooms can help promote continuous bloom time all through the year. The plants tend to reseed themselves from one year to another if they have not been eaten by birds or stolen away in high-traffic areas with thorns (so beware).
Cleome Growing Tips:
- Type: Annual in zones 10 to 11
- Soil Needs: Dry to medium moisture and well-drained
- Light: Full sun
- Spacing: 18 to 24 inches apart
- Plant Size: 3 to 6 inches tall; 1 to 2 inches wide
- Companions: Tomatoes, dahlias, cosmos, Echinacea
4. Columbines (Aquilegia spp.)
The columbine plant is a perennial that can be grown for any beginner gardener! They come in different colors and will attract hummingbirds with its sweet-scented flowers. You can start them from seeds, which are easily found at your local nursery or garden center. Once the plants have been established they’ll reproduce on their own – this means you’ll get to enjoy these colorful blooms year after year without having to buy more seedlings each time new ones become available! These easygoing perennials only need deadheading throughout the growing season; as long as you make sure not too many of those delicate petals go unnoticed by birds, butterflies and other pollinators then it should keep going strong until winter arrives again next fall.
Columbine Growing Tips:
- Type: Perennial in zones 3 to 8
- Soil Needs: Average, well-drained soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 12 inches apart
- Plant Size: 14 to 20 inches tall; 12 to 20 inches wide
- Companions: Phlox, rhubarb, ferns, hostas
5. Day Lilies (Hemerocallis)
Daylilies are a beautiful addition to any garden and come in many colors, including orange, yellow purple red or mixed. They require little care other than being planted before they can continue their growth without much more attention needed on your part afterwards. The flowers typically last no longer than 24 hours each after which it is replaced with another flower the next day; this means that you need to have taller blooming plants around them so none of these precious gems go unnoticed for long periods of time!
Day Lily Growing Tips:
- Type: Perennial in zones 3 to 9
- Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 24 to 36 inches apart
- Plant Size: 24 to 36 inches tall; 24 to 36 inches wide
- Companions: Tomatoes, squash, gladiolas, eggplant
6. Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana)
Flowers are a great way to liven up your garden. Such plants as Nicotiana sylvestris with towering stalks of star-shaped flowers in shades from lavender, white, pink and red have an incredible floral scent that attracts giant moths when they bloom at night which makes for one amazing evening fragrance.
Nicotiana Growing Tips:
- Type: Perennial in zones 2 to 10
- Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 12 to 24 inches apart
- Plant Size: 3 to 5 feet tall; 1 to 2 feet wide
- Companions: Lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, broccoli, collards, portulaca, lobelia
7. Fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica)
Fuchsia is a delicate, exotic flower which can grow in any climate as long it gets shelter from the cold northern winds. Fuchias are often seen growing at nurseries or in hanging baskets but they make great displays when planted with other flowers. When provided fertile and well-drained soil that’s moist enough to keep them happy, fuchiases will bloom continuously if deadheading of old blooms is done regularly.
Fuchsia Growing Tips:
- Type: Tender perennial in zones 6 to 11
- Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 24 inches apart
- Plant Size: 12 to 24 inches tall; 12 to 24 inches wide
- Companions:Hostas, nasturtiums, lupines, cosmos
8. Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)
Hollyhocks are a species of flower that come in many colors, including blue and pink. They’re part of the mallow family which includes over 1500 different types! Hollyhocks turn into tall plants with flowers blooming after their first year as they store energy from growing leaves. The next year is where hollyhock’s magic happens; seeds form on top while it grows more beautiful than ever before through its second life cycle.
Hollyhock Growing Tips:
- Type: Perennial in zones 3 to 8
- Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 24 inches apart
- Plant Size: 3 to 8 feet tall; 1 to 3 feet wide
- Companions: Yarrow, bellflowers, daisies, marigolds, sunflowers
9. Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
Impatiens are a hardy perennial that can be grown as an annual in most parts of North America. Planting impatiens is easy and they grow well when given adequate watering’s, but without regular watering the plants will wilt. Mulching around their roots helps to avoid wilting by keeping moisture levels even throughout dry periods with little rainfall. Impatiens not only have beautiful flowers, but they also produce tiny fruiting bodies that will explode into hundreds of seeds to disperse across the area. The small size and soft texture will make it easy for these seedlings to float away from their mother plant so there is no competition between them.
Impatiens Growing Tips:
- Type: Annual in zones 9 to 11
- Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil
- Light: Full shade
- Spacing: 8 to 12 inches apart
- Plant Size: 1 to 3 feet high; 1 to 3 feet wide
- Companions: Ginger, coleus, caladium, ferns
10. Lantana (Lantana camara)
Lantanas are a favorite due to their colorful flowers and berries. Lantana plants have long, vine-like branches that dangle from hanging pots or baskets where they can spill over the edges of containers with ease. The tiny packed blooms come in mixed colors like yellows, oranges, whites, reds and purples while later on in the fall season lantanas produce little black berries which enjoy being eaten by songbirds!
Lantana Growing Tips:
- Type: Perennial in zones 8 and higher
- Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil, but will tolerate poor soil
- Light: Full sun to partial shade
- Spacing: 2 to 4 feet apart
- Plant Size: 6 feet high; 8 feet wide
- Companions: Salvia, angelonia, pentas
The Bottom Line
Adding nectar plants that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators to your garden will liven up your backyard space, yield a more bountiful harvest at years-end. Choosing nectar plants that attract hummingbirds will also lure other pollinators like bees or butterflies because they are all after the same source: pollen. You may notice though, while some prefer flat flowers (like butterflies), others enjoy tube shaped ones (such as birds).