Southeastern United States:

•Butterfly Bush •Cardinal Flower •Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle •Cypress Vine •Native Trumpet Creeper •Texas Sage

Southwest United States:

•Indian Paintbrush •Lantana •Lily of Nile •Mexican Honeysuckle •Texas Sage •Western Coral Bean

West Coast United States:

•Beebalm •Bottle Brush •Cape Fuchsia •Colombine •Salmonberry •Woodland Orchard

Northeastern United States:

•Blue Lobelia •Cardinal Flower •Hollyhock •Red Morning Glory •Salvia •Scarlet Sage

Midwest United States:

•Coral Bells •Coral Honeysuckle •Foxglove •Hosta •Impatients •Lilac

Even though flowers are natural means to attract hummingbirds to your garden, man-made feeders filled with a mixture of water and sugar (sucrose) are an essential alternative. Sugar, whether from a flower or a feeder, is a necessary nutrient in a hummingbird’s diet. Tests have shown that hummingbirds favor sucrose in flower nectar more than other sugars such as fructose and glucose. Therefore, with proper ratio of ingredients, your feeder becomes a good substitute to flowers that hummingbirds like best.

The formula for mixture used in hummingbird feeders is 4 parts water (not distilled) to 1 part table sugar. Boil mixture for one to two minutes, then cool and store in refrigerator. The mixture can be stored in refrigerator for up to one week. Do not use red food coloring, honey, or artificial sweeteners in your mixture, as this could be harmful to hummingbirds.

If one of your goals is to attract hummingbirds to your garden, a visit to your local nursery is a great starting point. Find an experienced employee who can tell you which species of plants grow well in your area and have a history of successfully attracting hummingbirds. Most importantly, be imaginative and have fun planting and growing your garden to attract beautiful hummingbirds.

Copyright 2005, Lesley Dietschy, All rights reserved.