What do you find to be hummer magnets in your yard? I'dl ike to plant more and perhaps retire the feeder.

Fucshia and crocosmia of course. Stachys. The teeny flowers of figwort. They buzz monkshood but don't stay long.

Hi Deb,

I don't have my garden set up the way I want for the hummingbirds so the feeders are still the magnets ~

But they really like the Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus drummondii), Salvias and Agastaches, along with the Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) that grows wild. In the springtime they show up in April around the time the Coral Honeysuckle is blooming (It's a vine that also grows wild here) and they love it too.

Hummingbirds are highly attracted to the color red, so nectar plants that bloom red are a good choice. A couple of years ago I bought some red Penstemon from a big box store thinking the hummingbirds would like it but they never touched it. I don't know if it was because it was a hybrid that didn't have nectar or what? I may try again, from seed.

A couple of things I really want to grow for the hummingbires but don't have yet are:
Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra)
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)

Saw our first hummingbird of the season yesterday and it was visiting the pink cleome, the white four 0 clock, the red zinnias and the sunflowers. I think they are attracted by scent as much as by that red color. They LOVE the mimosa trees. And I understand the also really go for ornamental ginger flowers and many of those are white.

I grow the parrot lily and sit on the porch & watch them gather. Also, indica (canna old one with small tube). The large aloe bloom, mother of thousands bloom. any small tubular bloom they love but I do see them on my altheas and other blooms.

I have several large clumps of Lucifer crocosmia which opened up about a week ago. It sounds like a hummer highway and I find myself ducking now and again.

They definitely like the native penstemons. I've got two native penstemon species, but most now are crosses between the two species, as through the years the plants from seeds turned out hybrids. And the hummers love them, sometimes checking the buds out impatiently before they open! And Flame Acanthus rates really big on the hummer rating scale here! I have quite a few and they're flowering earlier than usual this year, so hummers are happy! And of course, salvias of any color, but I mostly have pinks and reds. Turks Cap, of course. Coral Honeysuckle is a favorite...mine was blooming before winter was over and still is blooming, although less in this heat. And Red Yucca is always popular when it's blooming.

I refuse to mess with those feeders... No way to prevent fermentation in the ga summers.

Luckily, there are plenty of plants that are happy in my yucky sand...

Any hibiscus... They like rose of Sharon just fine... I don't really have a problem with those seedlings that some people have...

Cannas are magical, especially the small flowered varieties.

Salvias do very well in my garden... I have a number of varieties...

And those cleomes... And 4 o'clock...

Also tithonia, hyacinth bean, cypress vine.... Even zinnia...

The annuals are self sowing at my house.... So... That's easy.

Also for early spring...
The native coral honeysuckle, and those Canada columbines...

And... While not native to my area...
Diclipta suberecta (Uruguay firecracker plant) which thrives in my droughty sand...

I doubt that it's any more healthy to feed those hummingbirds at feeders than to give children all the soda pop they want... So... Yay about your plan to provide them with nectar plants...

Edit:
Just checked my tumblr... Different pictures than my regular garden blog...
http://stonethegardener.tumblr...

Flowering ginger and vitex are also draws...

Not sure how many of these southern faves will grow in the PNW, but... The more turf that you take out in favor of flowers... Is sure to result in increased hummingbird/butterfly activity...