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Plant Select
Attract Hummingbirds With Beautiful Western Plants
By Ann Kendall, Plant Select
Would you like to attract more hummingbirds to your garden, while making your landscape even prettier?
Ring a dinner bell for hummingbirds with the vibrant western plants below! Hummingbirds can drink more than their weight in nectar every day. These regionally native plants are rich in nectar and have deep, tube-shaped flowers ideal for a hummingbird’s long tongue.
Penstemons (sometimes called beardtongue)
Penstemons add a splash of color to late spring and early summer gardens. Typically, penstemons prefer lean, well-drained soils, and they don’t need much water. And just as there’s diversity among birds from towering ostriches to small-but-mighty hummingbirds western penstemons offer great variety as well, growing in desert conditions, up to mountain environments.
Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri), for example, makes an entrance at up to five feet tall. It thrives in high desert gardens, producing fragrant, pale pink flowers and lush, gray-green foliage. Meanwhile, mat-forming penstemons hug the ground. They’ve cleverly adapted to the windy or high elevation settings they call home.
Pineleaf penstemons like SteppeSuns® Sunset Glow (Penstemon pinifolius ‘P019S') and HALF PINT® (Penstemon pinifolius ‘Compactum')—grow eight to 10 inches tall. Their evergreen leaves resemble short pine needles, adding year-round beauty and texture to gardens. Pineleaf penstemons are covered with vibrant, tubular flowers in May and June, like a miniature buffet for hummingbirds. These heat and sun-loving penstemons thrive in park strips and garden borders, and they tend to grow well in higher elevation gardens too.
There are approximately 250 species of penstemons native to North America, and Utah is home to the most in the United States, according to Red Butte Garden. Ask for penstemons at local, independent garden centers.
Red birds in a tree
Red birds in a tree (Scrophularia macrantha) joins the garden party in mid- to late June. As its name suggests, it has charming flowers that resemble a flock of red birds perched on tree branches. This drought-tolerant perennial is a hummingbird delight. Hummingbirds visit all season long and often return to it year after year.
Red birds in a tree is a no-fuss perennial once it’s established. It grows well in full sun to part shade, and it doesn’t need much water. It blooms most profusely in late June and July, but it continues to flower into fall.
This western native originates from the mountains of New Mexico, is hardy down to -30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and typically can be planted up to 8,125 feet in elevation.
Red birds in a tree doesn’t like to sit in wet soils, so avoid planting it near downspouts or in areas with wet winter soils that aren’t quick to drain and dry.
Hyssops (Agastaches)
When summer days begin to shorten, hyssops beckon to hummingbirds and butterflies alike. These nectar-rich flowers bloom in the latter part of summer and can flower until frost. They offer a beautiful, late-season source of nectar for migrating hummingbirds.
A member of the mint family, hyssops tend to have a mild aroma. Lean in close and you may smell the subtle minty aroma of Sunset hyssop/Licorice Mint hyssop (Agastache rupestris) or the bubble gum aroma of SONORAN SUNSET® hyssop (Agastache cana ‘Sinning’).
These sun-loving perennials have softly textured, airy foliage. And while these plants may look graceful and lush, they usually resist nibbling rabbits and deer. Generally, it’s best to plant hyssops in hot, sunny locations and well-drained soils up to approximately 6,200 feet in elevation.
With warmer days approaching, add penstemons, red birds in a tree, and hyssops to your spring planting list! And to explore more hummingbird plants, visit: https://plantselect.org/flowers-hummingbirds/
