Gardening for Hummingbirds

This is the time of year when my porch is frequently visited by one of my favorite guests, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The whirring of their wings and the squeaking of their chirps are silenced for only a few moments of time as my hummers perch at my feeder or visit my flowers. Hummingbirds have one of the highest metabolic rates of all warm-blooded creatures, thus creating for them a near constant demand for food, particularly carbohydrates. We can help them by having food sources readily available from mid-April, when they first arrive in our area, to mid-September, when the hummers usually depart for their warmer southern homes.

Most of us are familiar with the hummingbird feeder. We are less familiar, however, with the more natural sources of foods that hummingbirds need and enjoy. The shape of the bird provides an obvious clue of the varieties of flowers to plant for hummers. The elongated beak and tongue of the hummer is particularly useful in obtaining nectar from tubular or pendulous flowers, many of which are quite familiar to us and are already grown in our gardens. Petunias, nasturtiums, begonias, honeysuckle, morning glories, daylilies, and fuchsias are standard fare in many gardens, and they are as pleasing to the hummers as they are to the gardeners. Other favorite hummingbird attractions are red-hot poker (hummingbirds love red), nicotiana (flowering tobacco), rosemary, lantana, and the native Missouri trumpet vine.

The ideal hummingbird garden is graduated, with the shorter flowers in front and the taller varieties in back. There are two reasons for planting the garden this way, one benefiting the plants, and the other the birds. A graduated garden allows sun, air, and water to reach all of the plants equally, which aids in their success. For the hummer, a graduated garden allows easy access to all of the flowers while simultaneously allowing a wide view and an easy flight path for escaping predators.

Hummingbird gardens can be created even for those with little space. Hanging baskets and window boxes can be created using smaller varieties of those flowers that appeal to hummers, particularly petunias, fuchsias, lantanas, begonias, and nasturtiums. Trumpet vines, morning glories, and honeysuckle can be grown on trellises against walls, or over fences to screen utilities or propane tanks. These taller varieties, and their trellises, also provide perches for hummingbirds, which is another requirement for our diminutive visitors.

Once hummingbirds have been lured to the garden, we must provide for all of their needs if we wish for them to stay. Hummers need approximately seven times their weight in water daily. Most of their water needs are fulfilled by their nectar intake, but a clean source of fresh water is also vital. The water for hummers must be very shallow, approximately a quarter- to a half-inch deep. Hummers also like misting fountains, as in their natural habitats they bathe by flying through mists created by waterfalls. Hummingbird feeders can supplement the carbohydrate demands of hummingbirds. It is easy to make syrup by mixing one part sugar with four parts of boiled water. Red dyes are unnecessary, and they can actually be harmful.

While hummingbirds can provide us with great enjoyment, they can also provide us with useful services. Hummingbirds eat a large number of insects daily, particularly gnats, mosquitoes, wasps, ants, and aphids. Hummers also provide our plants with a pollination service as they fly from flower to flower. Gardening for hummers provides us with visual, emotional, and environmental benefits, so be sure to include a planting for these special guests in your garden.