Hi,

I am wanting to create a hummingbird garden in my front yard, but am concerned about sun/shade requirements. I am not a gardener and want a low to no maintenance, drought tolerant, hummingbird happy yard.

The plants I'd like are: Epilobium canum (California fuchsia), Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer' (poker plant), Nepeta x Faassenii (hybrid catmint), Salvia Spathacea (hummingbird sage), Callistemon 'Little John' (bottlebrush), and Hesperaloe parviflora (coral yucca).

I'm in hardiness zone 9b, Sunset zone 14 (Sacramento, CA). The front yard is to the north of the house. At this time of year, it is shady most of the time, but come summer, it is full sun and it is hot and dry. There is no western sun protection.

According to UC Davis, all these plants do well in our area and are full sun to partial shade and can handle hot afternoon sun. The hersperaloe parviflora is full sun. I plan on planting those at the outside edges of the yard where the sun is able to hit during this time of year.

All are "deep watering every two weeks" except the hummingbird sage which is "deep watering every one to two weeks" and the California fuchsia which is "deep watering every two weeks to once a month".

None require more than a trim, removing dead blooms, and/or cutting down at the end of the bloom season.

I have no idea what the dirt type is. It's not clay. We will be removing the top layer (with grasses) and rototilling before planting. All the ground will be covered in bark for mulch.

Does this sound doable? Is there anything that screams "No!" or makes you cry? I want to make my resident hummingbird happy, but do not have a green thumb or knowledge.

Thank you!

Those should all do fine in those conditions. They would bloom more heavily and be denser in more sun, but the summer sun is sufficient. The Kniphofia and Salvia are the most shade tolerant.

Happy Hummer Gardening!

Thank you so much!

I feel much more confident with my plans. I'll post a photo once everything is planted (sometime in March).

Yes, please do!! I am looking forward to seeing.

Good luck with your garden. Can't wait to see the photos.
Please note that those watering requirements (i.e. "deep watering every two weeks") are for *after* the plants have become established. Which usually takes a few months. You'll need to water more frequently until then.

Thanks for that! Super helpful! I will prepare for watering every 3-4 days for the first spring and then will pull back as they settle in and get comfy.

Arggggh! Winter has decided to throw another week+ long storm our way. My plans to buy the plants at the university sale on the 11th and plant over the next week or two has been drowned a cold death...

Looks like I have to wait until April to create my hummingbird oasis.

I will still post photos when it's complete, it will just be a bit further out than I planned.

The best-laid plans of mice and men......

A couple more thoughts... add some penstemon and Hibiscus - those great big flowered ones. The Hummers are attracted to the sun and often don't notice the plants in the shade. I also have plants (and bird feeders) that attract other kinds of birds - there's just not enough hummingbird activity for an entire garden to themselves. Hummers don't share well with other hummers. If you're lucky, the hummingbirds (and other types of birds as well) will decide to nest in your yard. Then they like the shade with maybe some morning sun. In my yard, they nest in the lowest branches (eye height) of the redwood trees and in the bamboo but always near the pond on the other side of the yard from the wild flower garden. Even if you aren't going for nesting birds, don't forget to add a water source.

Watering plants every two weeks, even once established, in our dry heat is impractical. I have the same plants and have to water at least once a week, usually twice.

Depending upon where you are in Sacramento, there may be a layer of hardpan under your lawn. And your soil will probably be high in salts from all the river silts. (I'm a native of Sacramento)

Even if you aren't going for nesting birds, don't forget to add a water source.

Toedtoes, I am also in zone 9b in Redding. I grow or have grown everything you mention. My front and back yard are xeriscaped. My only comment on your selection… Salvia spathacea prefers more shade than sun. Plant it in a shadier spot or where one of your other selections will provide shade.

Other hummingbird magnets I grow are Salvia clevelandii, Lobelia laxiflora and several mounding manzanitas such as 'Big Sur' or 'Sunset'. It's so much fun.

Lucy68 - thanks. I have the penstemon as an alternate choice and/or an addition once these are established. I need to see how much room I have left for additional plants. I may also add some "chicks" from my aunt's hen and chicks to fill out some areas.

The hibiscus need too much water for my preference. The ones I have selected as you mentioned may actually need more watering than once every two weeks. But with the hibiscus, I'd need to water even more often - and I'm really trying to minimize the water needs (and their dependency upon my non-existant green thumb).

My hummingbird already visits the front yard (she likes to set off my security cameras), so I think she'll find the flowers easily. The neighbor has a bottlebrush at the sunny corner of our yards, so she is hitting that already.

KellyFW - yes, I am putting my salvia closer to the house where they will enjoy more shade. In the stretch that gets the most sun, I'm putting the bottlebrush and coral yucca. The catmint will get the next level of sun. And the rest will get the least amount. But they will all get the hot afternoon summer sun.

Thanks for the added feedback! Keep it coming!

Lucy68 - I meant to add that I have a variety of birds that hang out in my backyard. House sparrows, common finches, white crowned sparrows, mourning doves, etc. I have a big mulberry tree that they nest in. And they find holes in my brick exterior to nest in. They don't really care for the front yard at all - even though there is a nice tree in the corner. I usually only see the hummingbird in the front, so I'm focusing on her.

I was just pointing out that one is all you may ever see as they don't play well together so make your garden more than just a hummingbird garden.

I planted a couple small growing Rose of Sharon's - they seem to do fine with my irrigation but I do water twice a week. The tropical hibiscus live on the deck in pots in summer.

I don't expect it to become a social gathering for hummingbirds. I just want my resident Anna to have real flowers to drink from instead of just giving her the fake stuff. Maybe she'll stop glaring at me thru the cameras.

This is my plan.


My vision is to have low borders (catmint and fuchsia) on the two sides so it's easy to see from my driveway or the neighbor's yard - I want us both to easily see if someone's there. The outer edge will have the taller plants, but still low enough that it doesn't provide an easy hiding spot for someone. I always hated walking along a sidewalk with a tall thick hedge pushing out at me, so I don't want to create that in my yard. I also want to be able to access the sewer and water mains without damaging my plants - hence moving the plants inward at those spots.

The center will be a sea of bark with individual island plants. I like the finger-like blooms of the poker plant and sage because they look like castaways waving at a passing ship. At least in my head it looks like that.

I figure I can always add more plants over by the fuchsias and there's still room to play in the center. I have an existing unknown plant in the flower bed against the house (bottom of diagram) that will stay. It has finger-like blooms too and has been here longer than me. So that plant will fill in the flower bed a bit more.

The reddish squares will be pavers. The brown rectangle was going to be a bench, but I just found a pair of red metal chairs and matching table for free, so I might put them there instead.

There is definitely room to grow, but I figure I'd start with this. I can always add plants later and/or replace any that are unhappy. I do think I want to stick with the finger-like blooming plants. The thick bases give them substance, but the openness of the tops keeps things airy and less crowded.

I also don't want any heavy groundcover plants. It took me years to get rid of the rats and I don't want them moving back in.

So that's where I'm at and how I'm envisioning things.

I thought I'd provide an update. We've removed the grass from the yard in preparation. This week we will be laying down a weed barrier and the pavers and will start planting next weekend. We buy the plants Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, I have discovered that my existing plant in the flowerbed is a Bear's Breech (Agapanthus mollis - edit: this should be Acanthus mollis - thanks bannetts4 for catching that). There are about 4-5 plants within the mound. It is considered invasive, but it really hasn't spread much in the last 24 years, so I am going to leave it there and plant the poker plants and sages on either side.

The tree in the corner is a broad leaf privet. So another invasive species. But one that I do not want - its roots are horrendous. So, I going to get it cut down and then I'll spend the next year killing its roots. Once it is truly well and dead, I will plant a better tree/shrub in that spot.

I have added a few more plants to the plan. The university added more plants for the sale so I couldn't resist. I've added three additional poker plant varieties (hot & cold, poco orange, and backdraft), several more catmints, and a couple lion's tails. I also show two birdbaths in the plan. I also refined the diagram using truer bloom colors for the plants.



My hummingbird came by yesterday and checked things out while we were working. I think she's excited.

Oh, those darn University (and garden club) plant sales! How can you resist all those luscious goodies!?! And the prices! I'm now working overtime hours on weekends to avoid plant sales. Helps pay for the nursery trips though!

Yeah, things would have been a lot worse, but several of the plants I like are toxic to dogs and cats. We get a lot of strays around here and I don't want to harm them.

I retired from the state, so I'm doing retired annuitant work part time to pay for all this. I emailed the university to see if they will have carts for use at the sale. I told them I was buying about 50 plants (54 plus whatever my yard guy wants). She was impressed. Of course, she advised me to show up very early. The sale starts at 9 am. Apparently garden people like to start lining up at 7 am... You folks are killing me here.

The utility company is going to help cut down the tree since it's in the lines. Hopefully this week or next at the latest. Yeah!!!!

I've just ordered my second birdbath, a sundial, and a cute dragonfly shaped "birdbath" that is too small for a birdbath, so it will just be a decoration.

And I am getting a gargoyle to sit on the roof above and guard the garden.

to The Land of Crazy Plant People We do love our leafy friends and friends of leaves.
We're (mostly) harmless.

Arggg. Utility won't trim the tree until their next scheduled tree trimming in this area - 2 years from now!

So my guys got all of it cut except on stupid branch that is hanging right over the power line. It is too risky for my guys to cut it. So, I've got another call into the utilities to try and get them to cut this one stupid branch...

Meanwhile, the weed barrier is laid down and the pavers placed. Tomorrow we bring home the plants!!


You can see that dang tree in the front. I'm also having a gargoyle made to sit on the peak of the house (gablegargoyles.com - I'm getting a Felix but his name will be Bis - 5 points to anyone who knows the reference. Hint: it's a book about a witch, a not quite vampire, and a pixie bounty hunter team).

A very very long day was had.

First, last night just as I was about to go to bed, there was a huge crash out front. I ran out to check.

Drunk driver smashed into a neighbor's parked car. Called 911 and waited for the police and all. Didn't get to bed until about midnight.

Up this morning and got to the plant sale by 7:15 am. Third in line!

Got all on my list except the hummingbird sage. Somehow got 2 extra butterfly bushes.


Was home by 10:15 am. Started positioning plants in the yard. Yard guy and helper got there and helped dig holes. Then I plopped the plants in while they put up the new fence section.

I only planted to the right of center. I'll hold off planting the rest until the roof and tree are done (hopefully both next week). I think we planted 21 today in total.


Tomorrow will plant the 5 butterfly bushes out back. I gave the extra two away - one to my yard guy and one to my friend.

We got my front faucet working and a new hose, so later tonight, I'll water the front yard and plants. They all seem to be happy. The ones who had been a bit sad (the dog jumped on them in the car) have perked up nicely.

We're going to wait to put down the bark until they have settled in a bit and hopefully the catmints grow up a bit - I'm afraid they'll get lost in the bark at this size.