12 Annual Flowers That Pull Hummingbirds In — Bloom Times, USDA Zones, and the Nectar Scores That Matter
Discover 12 annual flowers that attract hummingbirds, with exact cultivars, bloom windows, USDA zones, and the nectar science behind which plants keep birds coming back.
Why Most Hummingbird Plant Lists Get It Wrong
Every spring, gardeners plant bright red petunias and wonder why the hummingbirds don’t show. The advice to “plant red, tubular flowers” is a starting point, not the full picture.
Here’s what the research actually shows: hummingbirds have no innate preference for red. A study highlighted by the Chicago Botanic Garden found that “typical and atypical flowers overlapped considerably in their energy content and profitability for hummingbirds” — meaning the birds make economically rational foraging decisions, not color-coded ones. What actually drives them back to a plant is nectar concentration: the sweet spot is 20–25% sucrose, the range where energy intake and nectar viscosity are both optimised for hovering flight.
Tubular flowers matter not because of color but because of morphology. A tube holds nectar at its base, away from rain dilution and evaporation. A hummingbird’s bill and tongue — the tongue alone extends roughly 1.5 times the bill length — can reach the pooled nectar that a bee or butterfly cannot. That physical lock-and-key relationship is why tube-shaped annuals consistently outperform flat-faced blooms as hummingbird magnets.
The 12 annuals below are selected for nectar quality, bloom duration, zone adaptability, and real cultivar data — not just genus names. A comparison table at the end lets you match flowers to your specific zone and garden conditions.
Match Your Planting Window to Hummingbird Arrival
Before choosing your plants, know when ruby-throated hummingbirds — the species visiting most of the US and Canada — reach your region. According to migration tracking data, the approximate arrival windows are:
- Zones 9–11 (Gulf Coast, Florida): late February – mid March
- Zones 7–8 (South/Mid-Atlantic): early to mid April
- Zones 5–6 (Midwest, Ohio Valley): late April
- Zones 3–4 (Upper Midwest, New England, Canada): May
Plant your annuals two weeks before your region’s first expected arrival. Snapdragons and petunias are cool-season performers that can go in as early as your last frost date — they’ll be fully established and blooming when the first birds arrive. Warm-season annuals like tithonia and cuphea need soil temperatures above 60°F to establish well, so hold those until two to three weeks after last frost. Illinois Extension recommends planning for continuous blooming throughout the summer to provide season-long feeding rather than a single flush of flowers.
1. Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea)
Zones: Annual everywhere; perennial zones 7–11 — Bloom: Spring through frost — Height: 2–4 feet
If you plant only one hummingbird annual, make it scarlet sage. Penn State Extension lists it as a top annual hummingbird attractor, and UF/IFAS confirms it blooms spring through fall in zones 7–11 with moderate drought tolerance. The flowers are narrow tubes on vertical spikes, which makes every drop of nectar accessible only to a long-tongued visitor — insects get excluded while hummingbirds get rewarded.
The cultivar Salvia coccinea ‘Lady in Red’ stays compact at 18–24 inches and blooms slightly earlier than the straight species. Salvia splendens ‘Vista Red’ is the bedding-garden standard at 10–12 inches if you need front-border height. Both rebloom reliably if deadheaded. Texas sage tolerates partial shade better than most salvias — useful for east-facing beds that only get morning sun.
2. Cuphea — Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea)
Zones: Annual everywhere; perennial zones 10–11 — Bloom: Summer through frost — Height: 8–24 inches
Cuphea earns a spot on every serious hummingbird list because its flowers are essentially custom-built for the job. Each bloom is a narrow orange-red tube with a dark tip — resembling a lit cigar, hence the common name — and the tube geometry forces nectar to pool deeply at the base where only a hummingbird’s tongue can reach. The cultivar ‘David Verity’, named by Wisconsin Horticulture Extension as especially attractive to hummingbirds, produces orange-red blooms on plants that mound to about 18 inches and bloom from June until hard frost without deadheading.
One underappreciated advantage: cuphea keeps blooming through July and August heat that causes many other annuals to stall. While salvia sulks at 95°F, cuphea stays productive, giving you reliable nectar coverage through peak summer.
3. Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11 — Bloom: July through first frost — Height: 3–6 feet
Tithonia solves the late-season nectar gap. Most annuals peak in June and July; tithonia hits full gear in late July and carries blooms until frost, bridging hummingbirds through their pre-migration feeding frenzy in August and September. The 3-inch orange-red flowers sit on hollow stems (snap them with care when cutting — the stem fills with sap) and provide an accessible nectar landing pad for hummingbirds while the tall plant structure gives birds a clear sightline approach.
For smaller gardens, ‘Fiesta del Sol’ (Clemson Extension) reaches just 3 feet and won an All-American Selection award in 2000 — much more manageable than the standard ‘Torch’ cultivar at 5–6 feet. Tithonia thrives in poor, lean soil: rich soil produces lush foliage but fewer flowers. Sow seed directly after last frost; it dislikes root disturbance.
4. Fuchsia (Fuchsia × hybrida / Fuchsia triphylla)
Zones: Annual everywhere; perennial zones 10–11 — Bloom: Spring through frost — Height: 12–24 inches (trailing) or 18–30 inches (upright)
Fuchsia is the only shade-tolerant annual on this list that hummingbirds reliably visit, which makes it essential for north-facing beds or porch overhangs where direct sun is limited. The pendulous bicolor blooms — a flared outer skirt above a tight inner tube — are precisely shaped for a hovering hummingbird to insert its bill upward into the nectar chamber.
Wisconsin Extension highlights Fuchsia triphylla ‘Gartenmeister Bonstedt’ specifically for hummingbird gardens: its long, narrow orange-red tubes produce nectar more continuously than standard hybrid fuchsias and tolerate more heat. Standard trailing hybrids in hanging baskets work well too, but they need consistent moisture — let them dry even once and flowering stalls for two weeks.
5. Zinnia (Zinnia elegans)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11 — Bloom: Summer through frost — Height: 12–36 inches (cultivar dependent)
Zinnias look like an unlikely hummingbird pick — flat, open flowers without the signature tube. But research confirms what observant gardeners already know: hummingbirds visit zinnias regularly, especially tall red and orange single-flowered varieties. The reason is energy economics. Chicago Botanic Garden’s research showed atypical flowers provide comparable nectar profitability to tubular ones, and zinnia produces nectar in high enough volume to make the visit worthwhile even without channeling mechanics.
The critical cultivar distinction: choose single or semi-double flowers, not the fully double ‘Dahlia-flowered’ types. Double zinnias have dense petal layers that block beak access to the nectary. Zinnia elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Coral’ and ‘Cut and Come Again’ mix (single-flowered, 24–36 inches) are the workhorses. Zinnias also bridge nicely with other pollinators — if you’re building a butterfly and bee garden alongside your hummingbird planting, zinnias do double duty.
6. Petunia (Petunia × hybrida)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11 — Bloom: Spring through frost — Height: 6–18 inches
Petunias’ wide trumpet shape is large enough for a hummingbird bill but shallow enough that the bird cleans out the nectary quickly and moves on — which means a single petunia plant won’t hold a hummingbird long. The fix is mass planting: a hanging basket with 5–6 petunias or a window box with 8–10 plants creates enough nectar volume to make it worth a hummingbird’s repeated hover-and-probe. Red and hot-pink varieties consistently outperform white and yellow for hummingbird visits.
For prolonged bloom, remove faded flowers before they set seed — petunias abort flower production once seed pods form. The Wave series (‘Easy Wave Red’, ‘Tidal Wave Hot Pink’) are particularly reliable self-cleaning types that spread aggressively and rebloom without deadheading. Full sun is non-negotiable: below 6 hours of direct light, petunia flowering drops sharply. More detail on cultivar selection in our complete petunia growing guide.
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→ View My Garden Calendar7. Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11 — Bloom: Summer through frost — Height: 3–5 feet
Cleome is tall, architectural, and produces a continuous crown of flowers at the growing tip from June until frost — exactly the kind of vertical interest that draws hummingbirds from a distance. The long, curved flower tubes on each individual cleome bloom require hummingbirds (or long-tongued bumblebees) for full nectar extraction. Penn State Extension lists it among top hummingbird annuals, and its heat tolerance makes it more reliable than salvia during August in zones 6+.
Cleome self-seeds aggressively — a useful trait if you want it to return without replanting, but plan accordingly if you don’t. Remove spent flower heads before they release seed to keep it contained. The cultivar ‘Senorita Rosalita’ is nearly seedless and stays at a more manageable 3 feet; ‘Helen Campbell’ (white) and ‘Violet Queen’ are the classic tall types. Avoid direct transplanting — cleome’s taproot resents disturbance; direct seed after last frost for best results.
8. Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11; cool-season annual — Bloom: Spring and fall — Height: 6–36 inches
Snapdragons fill the season gaps that warm-season annuals can’t cover. They perform in spring before salvias and zinnias are established, then often rebloom in fall as temperatures drop again. This makes them the ideal choice for zones 3–5 where hummingbirds arrive in early May and need nectar immediately on arrival — a well-established snapdragon planted two weeks before last frost will be blooming at exactly the right time.
The flower mechanism is unusual: each bloom’s lower lip must be pressed open to access the nectary, which bees accomplish but is actually bypassed by hummingbirds, who insert their bills from the side or through small gaps. Despite this, hummingbirds visit snapdragons regularly, particularly red and orange tall types. Penn State Extension recommends them as a reliable hummingbird annual. For a dedicated hummingbird use, choose the ‘Rocket’ series (36 inches) in red, orange, or coral, rather than dwarf bedding types — taller plants are more visible to approaching hummingbirds. Read our snapdragon growing guide for full care details.
9. Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11 — Bloom: Spring through summer (early frost) — Height: 8–12 inches (bush) to 6+ feet (vining)
Nasturtiums are underrated in hummingbird gardening. Each flower has a nectar spur — a long, curved tube extending behind the petals — that holds a concentrated nectar reserve. Hummingbirds and long-tongued insects insert their bills directly into this spur, bypassing the showy petals entirely. The orange, red, and yellow blooms also fit the visual profile that attracts hummingbirds on initial approach.
The caveat: nasturtiums stop blooming in high heat. In zones 7+ they typically stall in July and restart in September, which actually aligns well with the pre-migration feeding rush when hummingbirds need calories most. In zones 3–5, they bloom spring through early fall without a summer break. Penn State Extension lists nasturtiums specifically for their hummingbird appeal, and they thrive in poor soil — rich soil produces leaves at the expense of flowers. Sow seed directly after last frost; they dislike transplanting.
10. Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea × sloteri)
Zones: Annual zones 3–11 — Bloom: Midsummer through frost — Height: 6–10 feet (vine)
Cardinal climber is the vine option on this list and one of the most hummingbird-targeted annuals available. A hybrid of two Ipomoea species, its tiny scarlet trumpet flowers are almost exactly the diameter of a ruby-throated hummingbird’s bill — hummingbirds are the primary pollinator of this plant in gardens. Wisconsin Horticulture Extension specifically lists it among the highest-value hummingbird annuals. Unlike morning glory, its flowers stay open all day (not just morning), giving hummingbirds access throughout their active feeding hours.
Grow it up a trellis, fence, or mailbox post in full sun. The finely cut, fern-like foliage is an attractive backdrop even before blooms appear. Sow seeds after last frost — nick or soak overnight before planting to improve germination rates. The vine reaches 6–10 feet by midsummer and blooms prolifically until frost without any deadheading required.
11. Lantana (Lantana camara)
Zones: Annual zones 3–9; perennial zones 10–11 — Bloom: Summer through frost — Height: 18–36 inches
Lantana’s clustered flower heads offer something most single-tube annuals don’t: dozens of tiny tubular florets packed together, letting a hummingbird probe multiple nectar sources without moving. The bird hovers once and feeds several times from the same cluster. Wisconsin Extension recommends red-flowered lantana cultivars specifically for hummingbird gardens, and the heat and drought tolerance of this plant make it one of the most reliable late-summer performers in zones 6–9.
The cultivar ‘Miss Huff’ (orange-pink bicolor) is documented as hardy to zone 7b; ‘Dallas Red’ produces solid scarlet clusters with strong hummingbird appeal. Be aware that lantana berries are toxic to children and pets if ingested — if this is a concern, deadhead regularly to prevent fruiting. Compare lantana vs. verbena options in our lantana vs verbena guide if you’re deciding between the two for container planting.
12. Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
Zones: Annual zones 2–11 — Bloom: Spring through frost — Height: 8–16 inches
Impatiens fills the shade gap. Most hummingbird annuals require 6+ hours of direct sun; impatiens thrives in 2–4 hours, making it the go-to choice for shaded north-facing beds, tree understories, or porch spots that other annuals won’t tolerate. Penn State Extension includes it in their hummingbird annual list specifically because of this niche. The flat, open flowers aren’t tubular, but the Smithsonian National Zoo’s research on impatiens species notes that hummingbirds are actually more effective pollinators of Impatiens capensis (jewelweed, a wild relative) than bumblebees — partly because the flower wobble on impact deposits more pollen on the bird than on the bee.
Red and coral impatiens attract more hummingbird visits than white or lavender types. Plant in groups of 6 or more for best impact — single plants in shade are too easy to miss. Keep soil consistently moist; impatiens wilts fast and flower production stalls during drought stress even after recovery.
Quick-Reference Comparison: All 12 Annuals at a Glance
Use this table to match plants to your specific growing conditions. “Hummingbird Value” reflects nectar concentration, bloom duration, and tubular flower quality combined:
| Annual | Height | Light | Bloom Window | Zones | Hummingbird Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Sage | 2–4 ft | Full–part sun | Spring–frost | 2–11 | ★★★★★ |
| Cuphea | 8–24 in | Full sun | Summer–frost | 2–11 | ★★★★★ |
| Mexican Sunflower | 3–6 ft | Full sun | July–frost | 2–11 | ★★★★ |
| Cardinal Climber | 6–10 ft (vine) | Full sun | Midsummer–frost | 3–11 | ★★★★★ |
| Fuchsia | 12–30 in | Part–full shade | Spring–frost | 2–11 | ★★★★ |
| Snapdragon | 6–36 in | Full sun | Spring & fall | 2–11 | ★★★ |
| Lantana | 18–36 in | Full sun | Summer–frost | 3–11 | ★★★★ |
| Petunia | 6–18 in | Full sun | Spring–frost | 2–11 | ★★★ |
| Spider Flower | 3–5 ft | Full sun | Summer–frost | 2–11 | ★★★★ |
| Zinnia | 12–36 in | Full sun | Summer–frost | 2–11 | ★★★ |
| Nasturtium | 8 in–6 ft | Full sun | Spring–summer | 2–11 | ★★★ |
| Impatiens | 8–16 in | Shade–part sun | Spring–frost | 2–11 | ★★★ |
Building a Season-Long Hummingbird Garden
No single annual blooms from May through September at full force. Season-long hummingbird traffic requires a relay, not a single star player.
A simple three-layer strategy works well in most zones:
- Early season (migration arrival – June): Snapdragons and petunias, planted 2 weeks before last frost. Both are established and blooming when the first ruby-throats arrive.
- Mid-season (June – August): Scarlet sage, cuphea, cardinal climber, and spider flower carry the core summer nectar load. These are the high-nectar-value plants hummingbirds will defend as territories.
- Late season (August – frost): Tithonia and lantana peak exactly when hummingbirds need to double their fat stores before migration. A patch of ‘Fiesta del Sol’ tithonia in late August becomes a feeding station the birds visit on a near-hourly schedule.
Group plants in clusters of at least 3–5 of the same species rather than spacing them individually across the bed. Hummingbirds are territorial about food sources and will defend a concentrated patch more effectively than a dispersed one — which means more hummingbird activity you can actually observe from one spot. For a broader pollinator garden that layers in butterflies and bees alongside your hummingbird planting, our pollinator bloom calendar maps continuous flowering across the whole season.
FAQ
Do hummingbirds only visit red flowers?
No. Research by the Chicago Botanic Garden found hummingbirds make foraging choices based on energy content and profitability, not color alone. Red is a useful starting signal because many high-nectar flowers happen to be red, but orange, pink, coral, and even some yellow flowers attract hummingbirds reliably when the nectar quality is right.
Which annual attracts the most hummingbirds?
Scarlet sage and cuphea consistently rank highest because both produce narrow tubular flowers with deep nectar reservoirs that exclude most insects. Cardinal climber may attract more concentrated hummingbird activity in a small space because its flower size nearly perfectly matches the ruby-throated hummingbird’s bill.
How many plants do I need?
For reliable hummingbird visits, plant at least 5 plants of each selected species in a cluster. A single specimen of any annual won’t produce enough nectar to become a regular stop on a hummingbird’s territory circuit. The goal is a patch large enough that one hummingbird can feed for 30–60 seconds without exhausting the nectar supply.
When should I plant annuals for hummingbirds?
Target two weeks before your region’s first expected hummingbird arrival. For zones 3–5, that means late April. For zones 7–8, late March. Cool-season annuals (snapdragons, petunias) can go in at last frost; warm-season types (cuphea, tithonia, cardinal climber) need soil above 60°F.
Do hummingbirds like petunias?
Yes, but petunias work best in mass planting rather than as individual specimens. The trumpet-shaped flowers are accessible and hummingbirds visit them, but the nectar volume per flower is lower than tubular types like salvia or cuphea. Plant 8–10 petunias together in a hanging basket or window box for meaningful impact.
Sources
- Penn State Extension — Attracting Hummingbirds
- Chicago Botanic Garden — The Surprising Science Behind Hummingbirds and Flowers
- University of Wisconsin-Extension — Hummingbirds in the Garden
- UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions — Hummingbird Gardens
- Illinois Extension — 5 Ways to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard
- Smithsonian National Zoo — Flower Specialist
- Clemson Cooperative Extension — How to Grow Mexican Sunflowers
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox — Tithonia rotundifolia
