Hummingbirds – Gardens and Feeders
When we lived in West Virginia, Cleon and I maintained 2 hummingbird feeders. One feeder was on our porch and hanging next to a blooming honeysuckle vine they loved, and the other was on the opposite side of the house in our garden that was filled with flowers they regularly used. The rule of thumb is to hang feeders at least 10 feet apart to help deter the males from fighting. We had an entire house separating these two feeders, generally had about 4 males every year, and all they did was fight over those 2 feeders. In my observations, it seems that the fewer the males, the more fighting there is. I have seen half a dozen males or more feeding at a large feeder without fighting. But at our house in West Virginia, with feeders completely separated and out of sight from each other, the fighting among those 4 males raged on all spring and summer.
Gardens for Hummingbirds
In my opinion, while having and maintaining a hummingbird feeder is important, it is even more important to have plants hummingbirds use in your garden. And when planning what to plant, remember that if hummingbirds are not in your garden all year, they generally will be from March/April through September/October so consider looking at plants that will provide flowers for those months. If you live where hummingbirds are year round residents, be sure to include varieties of perennials that will provide successive bloom all year round. Your local garden center, garden clubs, and county extension will be able to offer suggestions for you. You can also find lists in books and online. And consider adding annuals. If you keep annuals deadheaded, most will provide continuous bloom either all year round or until frost. Keep in mind that hummingbirds are drawn to red flowers that are tubular or in somewhat of a ‘u’ or ‘v’ shape. Once drawn to your garden, they will also forage among orange and yellow flowers. And hummingbirds will not just be drawn to the flowers in your garden, but will also eat the insects that live amongst them.
If you do not have a list with you when plant shopping, just take a look at the flowers on each plant, and if the plant you are looking at is not in bloom, check the picture on the plant tag.
In contrast to hummingbirds, butterflies and moths like a platform on their flowers so they can perch. They are drawn to flowers that are flat like daisies and asters. A hummingbird will hover at its flower and stick its long beak and tongue down into it. A butterfly likes to sit on its flower and then stick its long mouthpart (proboscis) into the center. Some plants can be used by both hummingbirds and butterflies such as milkweeds (Asclepia) and the Butterfly Bush (Buddleia).
In my garden here in central Illinois, some of the perennial plants I have that our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds seem to love are:
Columbine (Aquiligea) Crocosmia (Crocosmia) Cardinal Flower (Lobelia)
Butterfly Weed (Asclepia) Summersweet (Clethra) Turtlehead (Chelone)
Deciduous Azaleas (Northern Lights series) Hostas
Beardtoungue (Penstemon) Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium) Honeysuckle Vine (Lonicera)
The honeysuckle vines you purchase at garden centers are non-invasive. I also generally plant the annual sage (Salvia) both in pots and in the gardens..
Many of the plants in my gardens will grow in most areas east of the Rockies. Be sure to check with your local garden center, check a gardening book, or research online before purchasing.
If you live in or west of the Rockies, consider including some of these plants in your garden. Check the plant tags to make sure they are suitable for the environment in which you live. Ask for advice at your local garden center.
Manzanita (Arctostaphys) Monkey Flower (Mimulus)
California Fuchsia (Epilobium) Bee Balm (Monarda)
Hummingbird Sage (Salvia) Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Beardtongue (Penstemon) Desert Honeysuckle (Anisacanthus)
Hummingbird Feeders
Hummingbird feeders require more maintenance than seed feeders and this maintenance is important. It will adversely affect the health of the birds if you do not keep their feeders clean and their sugar solution fresh. If you do not have the time or inclination to clean and refill the hummingbird feeder every 3-4 days, it would be better not to put one up. So give this some thought before you make the commitment.
You can buy commercially made solution but it is easy, and much less expensive, to make your own. Do not buy solution that is red and do not add red food coloring if you make the solution as it has not been determined whether or not the food coloring will harm hummingbirds. Flower nectar is colorless. Hummingbirds will be attracted by the colors on the feeders just like they are attracted to the colors of flowers. Reds, yellows, and oranges seem to be their favorite colors.
The standard recipe:
¼ cup table sugar (do not use honey)
1 cup water
Mix together. Heating the water helps dissolve the sugar but if you change the solution in your feeder every 1-2 days, boiling the water first is not necessary. If you change the solution every 3 or more days, or make a large batch to store in your refrigerator, then boil the water. Make it a rule to never leave the solution in your feeder longer than 3-4 days. Do not use honey because when honey is mixed with water it becomes a mixture in which bacteria and fungus thrive. This can be fatal to hummingbirds.
If the outside daytime temperature is below 45⁰F, you may increase the sugar to ⅓ cup. This will provide the hummingbirds with more energy to ward off the cold.
Place your feeder in the shade or partial shade – the solution will not spoil or ferment as quickly (both can be fatal to hummingbirds).
Cleaning a Hummingbird Feeder
Clean your feeders at least every 3-5 days – every 3 days is best. Use a bottle brush and a vinegar solution of 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts very warm water. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. Never use soap, detergent, or bleach.
When to Put Up and Take Down Hummingbird Feeders When to put up and take down your feeders depends on where you live. I have divided the U.S into regions and added Canada. If you live in the U.S. and are unsure of what region your state is in, scroll to the end of this article for a list of the regions with states. When the end date includes “plus 6 weeks”, this is optional. Hummingbirds in these areas migrate south for the winter. Female hummingbirds can have 2 nests each year. The young from the second nest mature late in the summer and because of this, can migrate late (October and November). Also, there are always a few adults who inexplicably start migrating late. All hummingbirds – including these youngsters – migrate alone. If hummingbirds get a late start, the flowers and insects on which they depend may be sparse or no longer available. Your feeders can save the life of a late migrator. Most hummingbirds will be gone from these regions by the date listed, but there are always stragglers. Consider leaving your feeders up the additional 6 weeks to give them a helping hand.
New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Lower Midwest: March 21-April 1 to September 30 (plus 6 weeks)
In our Northern and Central States: April 1-10 to September 30 (plus 6 weeks).
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina: March 10 to September 30 (plus 6 weeks).
Southern and Southeastern States: March 1 to December 1.
Observe what is happening in your garden. If you live within 200 miles of the Gulf Coast, your hummingbirds could stay longer or even winter in your garden. If this happens, consider leaving your feeder up all year round – just remember to maintain it the same way you did in the spring and summer months.
New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada: March 20-30 to September 30.
However, this can greatly vary depending where you are in these states and what habitat is surrounding you. My advice is to take a good look at your yard and garden and observe if you have hummingbirds, and how much of the year they are living there. In some areas, hummingbirds will reside all year round, in some they only migrate through, and in other areas, they are there only for the warmer months. If you have hummingbirds and you do not believe they are with you all year, then I would recommend putting up your feeders about March 20th and take them down about September 30th.
Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah: April 15 to September 15 (plus 6 weeks)
Pacific Coast States: April 15-30 to August 30.
Observe what is happening in your own garden. Depending where you live, hummingbirds could be in your gardens and yard the entire year and it would be my recommendation that you keep your feeders up and filled all year. If you decide you do not want to have your feeders up the entire year, put them up about April 15th and then please take your feeders down no later than August 30th. This allows the hummingbirds in your garden and yard to disperse and find another food source before it gets colder.
Regions and Their States: Within their region, the states are in ABC order.
New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Lower Midwest:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
In our Northern and Central States:
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
Southern and Southeastern States:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Pacific Coast States:
- California
- Oregon
- Washington