Hummingbirds are one of the most exciting visitors a garden can have. They move quickly, hover in place, flash colour in the sunlight, and bring a sense of life to patios, borders, and flowering shrubs. In Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, hummingbird gardening is especially rewarding because Anna’s hummingbirds may be seen in the Pacific Northwest year-round, while Rufous hummingbirds are migratory visitors during the growing season. That means a good hummingbird garden should offer flowers across as much of the year as possible, not just in summer.
The best plants for hummingbirds usually have nectar-rich flowers. Tubular flowers are especially useful because they match the way hummingbirds feed. Red, orange, coral, hot pink, and purple flowers are often very attractive to hummingbirds, but flower shape and nectar supply matter just as much as colour. A garden with a mix of annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, and small trees will provide a much longer season of interest than a garden planted with only one kind of flower.
For new gardeners, the goal is simple. Create a sunny to partly sunny garden with flowers blooming from late winter or early spring through fall. Add a few shrubs for structure, a few perennials for repeat performance, and some annuals or tender plants for big summer colour. Avoid unnecessary pesticide use, keep plants watered during dry spells, and group flowers together so hummingbirds can find them easily.
What Hummingbirds Need From a Garden
Hummingbirds visit flowers for nectar, but they also need more than nectar alone. They eat small insects and spiders for protein, and they need shrubs, trees, and sheltered spaces for resting and nesting. A hummingbird-friendly garden should not be too sterile. A few natural areas, layered plantings, and flowering shrubs can make the garden more useful.
In our region, it is also helpful to think by season. Winter and early spring flowers are valuable for Anna’s hummingbirds. Spring and summer flowers help support both resident and migratory birds. Late summer and fall flowers are important because they help hummingbirds build energy during a time when many gardens begin to fade.
If you use a hummingbird feeder, keep it clean and do not rely on it as the only food source. Plants are still one of the best ways to support hummingbirds naturally. Flowers also attract the small insects that hummingbirds need as part of their diet.
Design Tips for a Hummingbird Garden
Plant in groups rather than scattering one plant here and one plant there. A cluster of red Bee Balm, a drift of Agastache, or a container filled with Fuchsia and Cuphea is easier for hummingbirds to notice and revisit. Repetition also makes the garden look more intentional.
Use different heights. Hummingbirds will feed from low annuals, medium perennials, tall perennials, shrubs, vines, and trees. A layered planting gives them more places to feed and perch. For example, a garden might include Flowering Currant in the back, Crocosmia and Salvia in the middle, and Fuchsia or Petunia in containers near the patio.
Choose plants with overlapping bloom times. Mahonia and Flowering Currant can help early in the season. Columbine, Honeysuckle, and Weigela are useful in spring. Bee Balm, Crocosmia, Fuchsia, Cuphea, Salvia, Agastache, and Penstemon carry the garden through summer. California Fuchsia and late Salvias can extend the show into fall.
Best Plants To Attract Hummingbirds
Abutilon
Flowering Maple
Abutilon is a tender shrub or patio plant with hanging bell-shaped flowers in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and peach. The flowers are well suited to hummingbirds, and the plant can bloom for a long period in warm, sheltered conditions. It is often sold as a seasonal patio plant or tender shrub.
In Metro Vancouver gardens, Abutilon is best used in containers or protected microclimates. It appreciates sun to part sun, regular moisture, and protection from hard winter conditions. For new gardeners, it is a good choice for a summer patio display where hummingbirds can be seen up close.
Agastache
Hummingbird Mint, Hyssop
Agastache is one of the best summer perennials for hummingbirds. It produces upright spikes of tubular flowers in colours such as lavender, blue, pink, coral, orange, and red. The foliage is aromatic, and the flowers also attract bees and butterflies.
Plant Agastache in full sun with well-drained soil. In the Pacific Northwest, drainage is especially important through winter. It is a strong choice for hot sunny borders, pollinator gardens, gravel gardens, and water-wise perennial plantings.
Bee Balm
Monarda
Bee Balm is a classic hummingbird perennial with shaggy tubular flowers in red, pink, purple, lavender, and white. Red varieties are especially eye-catching in a hummingbird garden. The flowers sit in showy clusters and are easy for hummingbirds to visit.
Grow Bee Balm in sun to part sun with rich, evenly moist soil. Good air circulation helps reduce powdery mildew. It is excellent in cottage gardens, pollinator borders, and mixed perennial plantings where summer colour is wanted.
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Cardinal Flower is one of the most striking red-flowered perennials for hummingbirds. It produces upright spikes of brilliant red tubular flowers, usually in summer. The flower colour and shape make it highly attractive to hummingbirds.
Unlike many drought-tolerant hummingbird plants, Cardinal Flower prefers consistently moist soil. Use it near ponds, in rain gardens, in moist borders, or in rich garden soil that does not dry out severely. It is a great reminder that not all hummingbird plants want the same growing conditions.
Columbine
Aquilegia
Columbine is a graceful spring to early summer perennial with spurred flowers in many colours. Red and yellow forms are especially useful for hummingbirds, but other colours may also be visited. The flowers have a delicate, woodland character and fit well in naturalistic gardens.
Grow Columbine in sun to part shade with well-drained soil. It is useful in cottage gardens, woodland edges, and mixed perennial borders. Columbines can self-seed lightly, which can be a benefit in relaxed garden designs.
Crocosmia
Montbretia
Crocosmia is a summer-blooming perennial with arching stems of red, orange, or yellow flowers. The bright colours and tubular flower shape make it a favourite for hummingbirds. It also brings strong vertical movement and tropical-looking colour to the garden.
Plant Crocosmia in full sun to part sun with well-drained soil. Some types are more vigorous than others, so choose varieties carefully for the space. It works beautifully with ornamental grasses, Agapanthus, Salvia, Kniphofia, and other sunny border plants.
Cuphea
Firecracker Plant, Cigar Plant
Cuphea is a tender annual or patio plant with small tubular flowers that hummingbirds visit eagerly. Varieties with orange, red, or hot-coloured flowers are especially useful in summer containers. It blooms for a long time and is excellent near seating areas where hummingbird activity can be enjoyed.
Grow Cuphea in full sun to part sun with regular watering and good drainage. In our climate, it is usually treated as a warm-season annual. It is ideal for patio pots, hanging baskets, mixed containers, and sunny annual displays.
Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Flowering Currant is a Pacific Northwest favourite and one of the most valuable early-season shrubs for hummingbirds. In spring, it produces hanging clusters of pink to reddish flowers that appear before many summer perennials are awake. This timing makes it especially useful for early hummingbird activity.
Plant Flowering Currant in sun to part sun with well-drained soil. Once established, it is fairly easy to grow and fits well into native plant gardens, mixed shrub borders, and wildlife-friendly landscapes. It is one of the best shrubs to include when designing for local pollinators and birds.
Fuchsia
Hardy and Tender Fuchsia
Fuchsias are among the best-known hummingbird plants. Their hanging tubular flowers are perfectly suited to hummingbird feeding, and they bloom in shades of red, pink, purple, white, and bicolour combinations. Hardy fuchsias can be used in gardens, while tender types are excellent in baskets and containers.
Most fuchsias prefer part sun to bright shade and consistent moisture. They are especially useful for patios, entrances, shaded containers, and mixed borders. Hardy fuchsias can return year after year in suitable sites, while tender varieties are usually treated as seasonal plants.
Heuchera
Coral Bells
Heuchera is often sold for colourful foliage, but the delicate flower stems can also attract hummingbirds. Varieties with coral, pink, red, or white bell-shaped flowers are especially useful. The plants are compact and easy to place in containers or borders.
Grow Heuchera in part sun to part shade with well-drained soil. In hot sites, afternoon protection is helpful. It is a good option for gardeners who want a foliage plant that also contributes to hummingbird activity when in bloom.
Honeysuckle Vine
Lonicera
Climbing honeysuckles with tubular flowers are excellent for hummingbirds. Orange, red, coral, yellow, and pink forms can be very effective, especially when grown on a trellis, fence, or arbour. Native orange honeysuckle, Lonicera ciliosa, is especially relevant for Pacific Northwest gardens when available.
Plant honeysuckle vines in sun to part sun with support for climbing. Choose non-invasive garden varieties and give them room to grow. They are useful for adding vertical nectar sources to a hummingbird-friendly garden.
Kniphofia
Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia produces tall torch-like flower spikes in shades of red, orange, yellow, cream, and coral. Hummingbirds are drawn to the tubular flowers, and gardeners appreciate the bold shape and warm colour. It brings a strong architectural look to sunny borders.
Grow Kniphofia in full sun with well-drained soil. It is useful in hot-colour plantings, pollinator gardens, and drought-tolerant beds once established. Avoid planting it in areas that stay wet through winter.
Mahonia
Oregon Grape and Hybrid Mahonia
Mahonia is an excellent shrub for extending the hummingbird season because many types bloom in winter or early spring. The yellow flower clusters provide nectar when fewer plants are in bloom. This is especially valuable for Anna’s hummingbirds, which may be present through winter in our region.
Grow Mahonia in part sun to shade, depending on the type. Native Oregon grape species are useful in Pacific Northwest gardens, while some hybrid Mahonias are grown for bold winter flowers and architectural foliage. Give them well-drained soil and room to develop their natural shape.
Nicotiana
Flowering Tobacco
Nicotiana is a summer annual with tubular flowers that can attract hummingbirds, moths, and other pollinators. Flower colours include white, lime, pink, red, and purple, depending on the variety. Some forms are also fragrant, especially in the evening.
Plant Nicotiana in sun to part sun with rich, well-drained soil and regular moisture. It is useful in annual beds, cottage gardens, patio containers, and mixed plantings where long summer bloom is wanted.
Penstemon
Beardtongue
Penstemon produces tubular flowers in red, pink, purple, blue, lavender, and white. Many varieties are excellent for hummingbirds, especially those with red or bright pink blooms. The flowers also fit beautifully into sunny perennial borders.
Plant Penstemon in full sun with well-drained soil. Many types dislike wet winter conditions, so drainage is important in our region. It is a good choice for sunny slopes, raised beds, pollinator gardens, and western-style plantings.
Petunia
Petunia and Calibrachoa Types
Petunias are easy summer annuals that can help bring hummingbirds to containers and hanging baskets. Trumpet-shaped flowers in red, hot pink, purple, coral, and other bright colours are especially useful. Calibrachoa, often sold as Million Bells, can play a similar role in smaller-flowered containers.
Grow Petunias in full sun with regular watering and feeding. They are excellent for patio pots, window boxes, baskets, and seasonal colour displays. Use them near seating areas where hummingbirds can be enjoyed at close range.
Phygelius
Cape Fuchsia
Phygelius, commonly called Cape Fuchsia, produces tubular flowers in shades of coral, red, orange, pink, yellow, or cream. Despite the common name, it is not a true fuchsia, but hummingbirds still appreciate the flower shape and nectar.
Grow Phygelius in sun to part sun with well-drained soil and regular moisture. In mild gardens, it can be a useful perennial or subshrub. It works well in mixed borders, cottage gardens, and hummingbird plantings where a relaxed, informal look is welcome.
Pineapple Sage
Salvia elegans
Pineapple Sage is a tender perennial often grown as a seasonal plant in our area. It has fragrant foliage and bright red tubular flowers that are very attractive to hummingbirds. It is especially valuable because it often blooms later in the season.
Grow Pineapple Sage in full sun to part sun with regular moisture and good drainage. In colder gardens, treat it as a seasonal plant. In protected spots, it may return in mild winters. It is a great choice for late summer and fall hummingbird colour.
Salvia
Annual and Perennial Sage
Salvias are some of the best plants for hummingbirds. They include hardy perennial types, tender perennial types, and annual bedding types. Many have tubular flowers in red, blue, purple, pink, coral, or white, with long bloom periods and strong pollinator value.
Choose hardy perennial Salvias for sunny borders and tender or annual Salvias for containers and seasonal colour. Most prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Red and coral forms are especially useful for hummingbird displays near patios and entrances.
Scarlet Runner Bean
Phaseolus coccineus
Scarlet Runner Bean is an annual edible vine with bright red flowers that hummingbirds often visit. It is both ornamental and useful, producing attractive flowers followed by edible beans. It is a fun choice for family gardens and vegetable gardens.
Grow it in full sun with a strong trellis, fence, or teepee support. Provide regular water during dry weather. It is a good example of how a food garden can also support hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Trumpet Vine
Campsis
Trumpet Vine has large tubular flowers in orange, red, or yellow shades and is strongly associated with hummingbirds. It can be spectacular in bloom, but it is also a vigorous vine that needs the right location and sturdy support.
Use Trumpet Vine only where its size and strength are appropriate. It is best for large arbours, strong fences, or structures where a bold vine is wanted. For smaller gardens, choose less aggressive hummingbird vines such as honeysuckle or container-grown annuals instead.
Weigela
Weigela
Weigela is a spring to early summer flowering shrub with tubular blooms in pink, red, rose, or white. Hummingbirds visit the flowers, and gardeners appreciate the shrub’s easy nature and attractive form. Many modern varieties also offer colourful foliage.
Plant Weigela in full sun to part sun with well-drained soil. It works well in mixed shrub borders, foundation plantings, and sunny garden beds. Prune lightly after flowering if shaping is needed.
Choosing Plants by Season
For late winter and early spring, Mahonia and Flowering Currant are two of the most useful choices. They provide shrub structure and early nectar when many herbaceous perennials are still dormant. In a hummingbird garden, shrubs are important because they help bridge seasonal gaps.
For spring and early summer, Columbine, Honeysuckle, Weigela, Heuchera, and early Salvias are excellent options. These plants help build the garden’s nectar supply before the main summer annuals and perennials reach their peak.
For summer, use Bee Balm, Fuchsia, Crocosmia, Cuphea, Petunia, Agastache, Penstemon, Kniphofia, Salvia, Phygelius, and Scarlet Runner Bean. This is the easiest season to create a strong hummingbird display because so many colourful plants are available.
For late summer and fall, Pineapple Sage, California Fuchsia, Salvia, Cuphea, Agastache, and some Fuchsias can be especially valuable. These plants help keep nectar available later in the season and can bring hummingbirds into the garden when many spring and early summer flowers are finished.
Container Ideas for Hummingbirds
Containers are one of the easiest ways to attract hummingbirds close to the house. A sunny patio pot could include Cuphea, Petunia, Salvia, and Calibrachoa. A part-shade hanging basket might use Fuchsia as the main attraction. A larger container could combine Pineapple Sage, Agastache, and trailing annuals for a long season of colour.
For best results, keep containers watered and fed. Hummingbird plants in pots can dry out quickly during warm weather, especially hanging baskets. A stressed plant produces fewer flowers, which means less nectar. Regular care keeps the display useful and attractive.
Garden Care Tips for Hummingbird Plants
Water new plantings deeply while they establish. Even drought-tolerant plants need help in their first season. Once established, match watering to the plant’s needs. Cardinal Flower and Bee Balm appreciate more moisture, while Lavender-like dry garden companions such as Agastache, Penstemon, Kniphofia, and California Fuchsia prefer good drainage.
Deadhead annuals and some perennials to encourage more flowers. Petunias, Salvias, Cuphea, and many container plants will perform better with regular care. Shrubs such as Weigela should be pruned after flowering if needed, not late in the season when new buds may be developing.
Avoid broad insecticide use around hummingbird plants. Hummingbirds feed on small insects as well as nectar, and insecticides can reduce the natural food web in the garden. If pest issues appear, identify the pest first and choose targeted, lower-impact solutions whenever possible.
Final Thoughts
The best hummingbird gardens are colourful, layered, and alive through the seasons. They include early shrubs, summer annuals, reliable perennials, flowering vines, and late-season nectar plants. They are not overly tidy or heavily sprayed. They offer flowers, shelter, insects, and repeated reasons for hummingbirds to return.
For Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley gardeners, a strong hummingbird planting might start with Mahonia and Flowering Currant for early bloom, then continue with Columbine, Weigela, Fuchsia, Crocosmia, Bee Balm, Salvia, Cuphea, Agastache, Penstemon, and California Fuchsia. Add containers near patios or windows so the birds can be enjoyed up close.
Visit Art’s Nursery to explore hummingbird-friendly annuals, perennials, shrubs, and vines for your garden. Our team can help you choose plants for sun or shade, containers or garden beds, early bloom or summer colour, and the best combination for attracting hummingbirds naturally.