Hummingbird Plants

Clusters of bright orange 1-2" wide, daisy-like flowers with a yellow 'eye' that matures to orange are produced throughout the growing season to potentially year-round under warm frost free conditions. The Mexican Flame Vine, Senecio confusus, a.k.a Pseudogynoxis chenopodioides, is a naturally evergreen, small to medium-sized, herbaceous, twining tropical vine whose nectar and pollen-laden flowers are favored by butterflies, especially migrating Monarchs, as well as bees and hummingbirds. It is known to be a root hardy perennial in zones 9-10 and even in 8B if provided with a breathable insulative mulch for winter. It can be easily overwintered as a container plant and it is vigorous enough to enjoy as an annual where not hardy. Use this easy and vigorous vine on trellises and fences or allow it to spill from a hanging basket. Provide the Mexican Flame Vine with a full to partly sunny site in an average to well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 505

Rich purplish-pink, ruffly edged, nearly 3" wide flowers with a deep red-purple blotch and darker flecking are produced in midspring and are held against a foil of medium to coarse-textured foliage with the flowers attracting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and curious passersby. Michaele Lux Evergreen Azalea is an unusual and uncommon Aromi hybrid that develops into a small to medium-sized, densely branched shrub. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Images courtesy of Maarten Van der Giessen, Van der Giessens Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 12573

Midnight Mexican Bush Sage produces long, rich purple, tubular flowers that emerge from velvety purple calyxes creating long upright to gently arching spikes of flowers in late summer and fall (and spring where protected from freezing). Soft velvety finely textured foliage on a durable and deer proof, reliable, clump forming perennial. Great for hummingbirds and butterflies! Item# 2981.

The deep maroon foliage provides a contrasting foil for the ball-like clusters of 2" long, tubular light pink flowers whose nectar and pollen attract a variety of pollinators like hummingbirds, larger butterflies, and long-tongued bees. Midnight Oil Eastern Beebalm, a selection of Monarda bradburiana, is a many stemmed, clump-forming to slowly spreading, upright growing, native, herbaceous perennial selected for its unique, dark and mysterious foliage. This species is noted for its earlier flowering, excellent disease resistance, a naturally shorter 18-24" high habit, drought resistance as compared to other species of Monarda, and tolerance for thinner, poorer, and/or gravelly soils. Plants may lose foliage when drought stressed so average moisture is generally preferred under garden conditions. Provide a full to mostly sunny to partially shaded site in well-drained, average moist soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Brent Horvath, Intrinsic Perennial Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13167

Clusters of fragrant pure white flowers are produced atop sturdy 15-20" high stems in mid to late spring providing a feast of nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds. Minnie Pearl Phlox, a selection of our native Phlox caroliniana, begins flowering earlier than Garden Phlox, Phlox paniculata, and is an easy slowly spreading, groundcovering perennial with excellent disease resistance. This plant was discovered along a Mississippi roadside by Karen Partlow and was introduced by Tony Avant of Plant Delights Nursery in 2003. With its easy and reliable nature it has quickly become an enduring native perennial for the garden and landscape as well as part of more naturalistic settings like meadows, prairies, and of course roadsides. Item# 12311 

Spikes of dark calyxes and tubular buds open to display the burgundy, fuchsia, to deep rose colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching compact perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. Garnered 4 out 5 stars in Salvia trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Mirage™ Burgundy Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, compact rounded habit, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The dark colored flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12546

Spikes of deep dark red two-lipped tubular flowers are produced from spring to fall atop this dwarf densely branching perennial Salvia. A 5-star performer in Salvia trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Mirage™ Cherry Red Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, and exceptional flower power. Its dwarf and compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The dark colored flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Ball Horticulture, all rights reserved. Item# 12204

Spikes of deep purple calyxes and tubular buds open to display the dark purple colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching compact perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. Mirage™ Deep Purple Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, compact rounded habit, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The dark colored flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12547

Spikes of deep rose tubular buds open to display starkly contrasting near white lower petals creating a bright two-tone effect and are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. The top performer in trials at Welby Flower Trials in 2020! Mirage™ Rose Bicolor Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched semi-compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The two-toned flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12423

Spikes of deep purple calyxes and tubular buds open to display the deep violet colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching compact perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. A five-star performer in Salvia trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Mirage™ Violet Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, compact rounded habit, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The dark colored flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12425

Spikes of white to creamy white two-lipped tubular flowers are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching compact perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. A five-star performer in Salvia trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Mirage™ White Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, compact rounded habit, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The tubular flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12426

As well mannered in the garden as it name implies Miss Manners Physostegia stays in a tidy clump. In summer it produces dense spikes of tubular white flowers atop sturdy stems that attract a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds. This is a hardy, perennial that is native to the eastern half of North America and prefers moist to wet soils but performs well with average moisture. Image courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11094

Huge, deep orange-red tubular flowers open from dark tinged calyxes and 8-12" long spikes in summer and fall, when grown as a perennial, to potentially year round under warm tropical conditions attracting hummingbirds for miles! Mole Poblano Mexican Chocolate Scarlet Sage, a selection of Salvia gesneriflora, is more compact and flowers much longer than its parent growing to about 6-7' high and wide. This giant growing Salvia, the species is reported to grow over 20' high, is a shade tolerant, herbaceous to shrub-like tender perennial Salvia that is adorned with fragrant, large heart-shaped, fuzzy, quilted foliage and is anecdotally root hardy into zone 8A. Its only real drawback is that it should be grown in a sheltered area protected from strong winds and heavy rains as the stems are subject to breakage. It can be pruned to help keep the plant shorter, stronger, and fuller. Provide Mole Poblano Salvia with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering. Item# 12583

Loads of 1-1/2" wide, purple tinged rich peachy-pink, starry funnel shaped flowers are produced in midspring with good repeat in fall all on a low mounding spreading plant. Momo No Haru Azalea, which roughly translates to 'Spring of Peach', is a dwarf Satsuki evergreen azalea slowly building to about 2-3'H x 4-5'W. Its compact habit lend it to use as a bonsai specimen but it can also be utilized as a low growing evergreen hedge or as a specimen plant in the garden and landscape. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Azalea flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Item# 12801

Large dense fragrant flower spikes to 12" long are composed of many hundreds of small orange-eyed flowers that open lavender and deepen to dark violet and indigo and are held atop a compact mound of blue-green foliage. The honey-mead like scented, nectar rich flowers of MONARCH® Blue Knight Butterfly Bush or Buddleia are adored by a host of pollinators and garden beneficials including butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and more! Provide a full to mostly sunny location in well-drained average moist soils for optimum health and flowering. This Walter's Gardens introduction and is part of the MONARCH® Butterfly Bush series that have been selected for rich colors, excellent flower power, and a midsize habit. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11694

The 7-12" long conical panicles are composed of numerous fragrant icy periwinkle blue flowers that attract pollinators of all shapes and sizes throughout summer and into fall. MONARCH® Glass Slippers Butterfly Bush is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub with gray-green foliage and a densely branching compact, mounding habit that matures to about 3'H x 4-5'W. The nectar rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other garden beneficals. Provide a well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12836

Large conical clusters of deep cerise red, to 10" long, composed of tiny fragrant nectar rich flowers sit atop the sturdy stems of this well-branched Butterfly Bush from summer through fall are held against softly contrasting a backdrop of gray green foliage. Prince Charming Buddleia is a vigorous hybrid and a 2018 Walter's Gardens introduction that is part of the MONARCH® Butterfly Bush series that have been selected for rich colors, excellent flower power, and a midsize habit. The flowers attract loads of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11783

The 6-8" long conical panicles are composed of numerous fragrant showy medium pink flowers that attract pollinators of all shapes and sizes throughout summer and into fall. MONARCH® Princess Pink Butterfly Bush is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub with medium green foliage and a densely branching, moderately vigorous habit that matures to about 5'H x 5-6'W. The nectar rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other garden beneficals. Provide a well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12837

In spring to early summer clusters of rich rosy pink flowers are produced atop 18-24" high sturdy stems providing a feast for butterflies and hummingbirds. Morris Berd Smooth Phlox, a highly disease resistant selection of Phlox glaberrima or P. carolina depending on the source, is a clump-forming, slowly spreading rhizomatous native perennial that readily develops into a dense groundcovering mass of foliage and stems. This sunloving perennial is decidous in the colder portions of its range but may remain evergreen with purplish winter foliage in warmer winter regions. This easy to grow Phlox has proven to be highly resistant to powdery mildew and was in the top four in trials both at Mt. Cuba Center and the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Provide Morris Berd Phlox with a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12318

The Mulberry Jam Salvia has loose spikes of 1" long deep fuchsia tubular flowers which emerge from darkly contrasting calyxes on near purple stems. It flowers from late spring or early summer until fall under good conditions. This is a medium-sized Salvia with a moderately bushy habit. Provide a full to mostly sunny position in a well-drained soil for the best results. The flowers attract hummingbirds and larger butterflies occasionally as well as providing pollen for bees. Mulberry Jam Salvia is a hybrid discovered in the garden of author and Salvia expert Betsy Clebsch. Item# 11277

Wow! Possibly THE darkest purple Salvia on the market today! Dark colored spikes of deep royal purple, sometimes with a hint of red, two-lipped tubular flowers are produced from spring to fall on a compact well-branched vigorous plant. Nachtvlinder Salvia is a perennial Salvia with excellent vigor and flower power growing to about 24" high and wide and is adorned with glossy green fragrant foliage. Nachtvlinder translates to "night butterfly" or "moth" and was discovered as a chance seedling in the gardens of Hessenhoff Nursery in the Netherlands and is reported to have withstood temperatures as low as -4^oF. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Nachtvlinder Salvia is compact enough for low-maintenance specimens or add it to the garden and landscape for a summer long show. The nectar rich flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and the occasional butterfly. A Royal Horticulture Society 2015 Award of Garden Merit Winner. Item# 12474

The 2-3" wide light sky-blue trumpets with yellow throats are produced throughout the warmer months of the year, to year-round under warm tropical conditions, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds all on a compact upright to spilling plant with medium green foliage. The Natal Blue Bell, Thunbergia natalensis, is very similar to the slightly more commonly grown Blue Glory Vine, Thunbergia battiescombeii. Like its cousin, this is a tropical herbaceous perennial producing a multitude of upright to sprawling stems to about 18-24" high and sprawling to about 36-48" wide and it can be enjoyed as a container plant or in the ground in zones 9 and warmer. Provide the Natal Blue Bell with a partly sunny to partly shaded site in a fertile, well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and continuous flowering throughout the growing season. Item# 12703