Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard

     Hummingbirds are a very unique bird, hovering mid-air by flapping their wings 12-80 times per second, and the only bird to be able to fly backward. Many people enjoy having these tiny birds frequent their garden. Keep in mind that hummingbirds are attracted to flower colors and nectar, not fragrance.  Some cultivated hybrids produce less nectar than their wild counterparts, but they still make additions to your hummingbird habitat.
 
     Hummingbirds must feed 3-5 times per hour to provide enough energy to keep them going. They will build tiny little nests using bits of leaves, spider webs, moss and lichens which they have found in your yard. Once they have chosen your garden to nest in, they may become completely reliant on your garden for their source of food. 
 
     When choosing a hummingbird feeder, the color should be bright red to attract the birds from a distance. If you want to hang multiple feeders, hang them approximately 30 feet apart throughout your garden. Create both sun and shade areas within your hummingbird habitat.  Fill the feeder with a sugar-water mix of 1 part sugar and 4 parts water.  Do not use any type of food coloring.  Never use honey, as it will develop a fungus which is fatal to hummingbirds.  Always keep feeders clean and filled.

Plants & Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds
                                                                                               
Aster-P                              Gladiola-P
Azalea-D                           Hollyhock-P
Bearded Iris-P                  Honeysuckle-V
Beard Tongue-P                Hosta-P
Bee Balm-P                        Impatiens-A
Bell Flower-P                     Lupine-P
Butterfly Bush-D               Meadow Sage-P                                                             
Canna Lily-P                     Morning Glory-P
Columbine-P                     Oriental Poppy-P
Coral Bells-P                     Petunia-A
Cosmos-A                          Phlox-P
Cotoneaster-E                   Red Hot Poker-P
Dahlia’s-A & P                   Snapdragon-A
Delphinium-P                    Spider Flower (Cleome)-A
Evening Primrose-P          Trailing Petunia (Calibrachoa)-A
Flowering Quince-D           Verbena-A
Foxglove-P                        Yarrow-P
Fuchsia-A                          Zinnia-A
Geranium-A

P=Perennial
A=Annual
E=Evergreen
D=Deciduous Shrub
V=Vine

Information provided by The Garden Helper