Time for hummingbirds in South Texas! We’re lucky to see a few pretty much year-round, but mid-late April and September are when we typically see big migration surges. If you want to attract and enjoy hummingbirds, feeders can help, but plants are key. Did you know that most plants which are pollinated by hummingbirds have evolved over time to replenish nectar at night while hummingbirds are least active? That means hummingbirds can feed on the same flower over and over again without depleting the nectar! Here are 10 of our favorite plants for attracting and feeding hummingbirds – plant these now!
1. Firebush (Hamelia)
Firebush’s long tubular blooms are made for hummingbird beaks. And with so many blooms, hummingbirds will hang around and browse for a good while. Give it some space! Firebush grows 6-8 feet tall and wide and it grows fast. It loves sun, thrives with little water, and comes back quickly after a freeze. Give it a hard pruning in February and it’ll be back at full size by summer.
2. Native Turk’s Cap
Hummingbirds have been stopping to visit native Turk’s Cap in Texas for a loooooong time. Not only is it a hummingbird favorite, but its one of the most versatile landscape plants there is. Drought tolerant, grows in sun or shade, grows in clay or sand, withstands hot summers, withstands freezes, attracts and supports pollinators…Turk’s Cap can do it all.
3. Native Flame Acanthus
Here’s another top performer for hummingbirds and for South Texas landscapes. Native Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) is excellent for full sun, clay or sandy soil, grows 3-5 feet tall and wide, is very drought tolerant, and produces tons of blooms for hummingbirds.
4. Native Wild Olive
It’s not uncommon to see an established wild olive tree absolutely covered in hummingbirds. Again, these are not red, tubular blooms, but hummingbirds find them anyway.
5. Native Tangerine Beauty Crossvine
We saw our first Ruby-Throated Hummingbird of the season here at Gill’s just the other day on our native Bignonia aka Tangerine Beauty crossvine trellis. If you haven’t seen it in person, you need to stop by! Plant crossvine in full sun to partial shade and expect fast growth! If the hummingbirds don’t find it this spring, they certainly will this fall.
6. Duranta erecta
These blooms are not like the others – they’re purple and white and they’re not tubular. Nonetheless, hummingbirds make frequent stops for Duranta. These small trees typically grow to 12-15′ tall with a spread of about 10′ here in South Texas. Lots of room for lots of blooms!
7. Native Salvia greggii
If you plant Texas native Salvia greggii, you might have hummingbirds on it before you finish filling up the hole. This is true for so many of the different red salvias like Roman Red, native Salvia coccinea, Hot Lips, and more. They even love the blue salvias like native Henry Duelberg and Mystic Spires.
8. Pentas
We grow pentas as annual flowers here in South Texas, and the timing for planting them aligns perfectly with the April and September hummingbird migration. They come in many colors, but hummingbirds prefer the red variety.
9. Native Red Yucca
If you’re looking for low-maintenance, Red Yucca wins. Once established, you can pretty much leave them alone and they’ll thrive and bloom and look beautiful through the heat of summer and through freezes. And they’ll be frequented by hummingbirds!
10. Firecracker Plant (Russelia)
If you’re looking for a summer-tough, fast-growing, shaggy, wild-looking plant that attracts tons of hummingbirds…you found it! Firecracker Plant gets 3-5′ tall and wide and is a tried and true favorite here in South Texas – reliable and drought-tolerant.
These are just 10 of our favs, but we have a whole universe of other plants for hummingbirds, as well as feeders and nectar. Come see us or get in touch if you have any hummingbirds questions.
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