Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 11:48 am
Birds, insects, and flowers have a beneficial relationship. Flowers need birds and insects for pollination purposes, and in return, birds and insects feed on flower nectars and use the plants for shelter. Food is a good enough lure for pollinators (birds and insects).
In addition, flowering plants attract them using their petal colors, scents, and shapes. With all this in mind, a lavender cultivator might wonder if their plant is attractive to hummingbirds.
So, do hummingbirds like lavender? Hummingbirds like a variety of nectar-filled plants. This includes members of the sage and mint families; mallows and lavender. Lavender has a popular scent among hummingbirds and also people. The darker the color, the stronger the scent and more attracted hummingbirds to the plant.
Do Lavender Attract Hummingbirds?
In the ‘70s, hummingbirds were thought to be a mixture of a bird and an insect. European settlers created these thoughts.
Hummingbirds usually reside in tropical and subtropical South and Central America; this is where most of them are found.
Flowers can attract a diversity of birds to them. The colors of flowers act as signals for birds, communicating what flowers contain nectar and where to forage for insects.
Perennials like lavender and flowering shrubs attract birds more than flowering annuals.
What Is a Hummingbird’s Favorite flower?
Hummingbirds are so lovely to watch when they fly around. You may want to attract these beautiful creatures to your garden by creating a hummingbird-friendly environment.
The primary key to attracting hummingbirds into your garden is planting many flowers that provide shade, shelter, water, and food to them.
These birds usually rely on bright colors to find food for themselves and are particularly fond of red.
According to observations, plants with red parts and even the gardener’s red cloth have proven to attract them. Particularly, hummingbirds love flowers with bright colors and are tubular.
As these hold the most nectar. Examples of these flowers are perennials such as bee balms, lupines, daylilies, and biennials like foxgloves. Other colors of flowering plants like orange, blue, yellow, and purple attract hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds may visit various species of flowers, but some have proven unattractive to them. These flowers produce no nectar at all and cannot satisfy a hungry hummingbird.
While feeding, they hover around the flower petals, and flowers that do not provide enough space for hovering are less appealing to these birds.
Note that double-flowered forms aren’t accessible to pollinators. Some of the hummingbird’s favorite flowers are:
Annual Plants
1. Petunia:
This is a favorite of hummingbirds. They have large, trumpet-shaped blooms. This plant ranges in colors from white to black and can be spotted in striped varieties as well as single and double-flowered forms.
2. Annual Cuphea:
When included in a garden during the summer, its appearance amuses children and attracts hummingbirds. It exists in varieties and elongated tubes.
3. Calibrachoa:
Its vibrant colors require less maintenance. Also called Superbells, it is available in every color of the rainbow. Make a choice from its compact or trailing varieties in both single and double flower forms.
Perennials Plants
1. Catmint:
Drought tolerant and aromatic foliage, hummingbirds are attracted to these tubular lavender-blue flowers.
2. Sage:
Available in different shades of purple, blue, white, and pink. A widespread species is the pineapple sage that blooms late in the season and is characterized by tubular red flowers.
3. Beardtongue, Penstemon:
This blooming perennial comes in many shapes, colors, and sizes. It exists in some varieties with deep purple foliage. Hummingbirds favorite of this species are spikes of tubular flowers in red, orange, blue, or purple.
4. Anise hyssop, hummingbird mint:
Aromatic and drought-tolerant, this plant deserves a space in your garden. Its flower colors can be in shades of red, yellow, blue, orange, and pink.
5. Cardinal flower:
Hummingbirds love to hover around these tubular scarlet flowers. It is available in varieties of pink, red, and white. Butterflies are also attracted to this plant.
Bushes and vines
1. Weigela:
An early summer bloom in shades of pink to red. Weigela thrives under the full sun and on average soil. Once planted, it is drought tolerant.
2. Hardy fuchsia:
Most of this plant is frost-hardy and adds a bold splash of colors to a shady courtyard or woodland garden.
3. Azalea:
A vibrant splash of colors in spring. This reblooming foundation shrub is an attraction to hummingbirds. It thrives in moisture-retentive and well-drained soil.
4. Yellow bells:
Common in the Southern United States. Hummingbirds love the yellow, orange blooms. This plant needs water regularly and full sun to thrive.
Do Butterflies and Hummingbirds Like Lavender?
A lot of flowers that attract hummingbirds also attract butterflies, as both are similar in their plant preferences.
Lavender flowers have very attractive colors and a wonderful scent that provides necessary nutrients for birds and beneficial insects—hummingbirds and butterflies like lavender.
Seeing a butterfly in the garden is a beautiful sight, and lavender is one of the plants that create this.
Planting sizable clumps of flowering plants like lavender helps to attract butterflies and hummingbirds into your garden. It is more attractive to see many butterflies and hummingbirds clustering a large amount of lavender than just one plant.
Lavender is a perennial and barely needs regular replacement. The plant thrives provided that the soil is not too wet. It thrives only in well-drained soil and full sun and grows with minimal care.
Many of the common herbs are also attractive to butterflies. This is proven when you look around an open herb garden, the buzz of butterflies is audible.
Butterflies like herbs like borage, thymus, hyssop, and lavender. In attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden, another major key is to avoid the use of chemical pesticides. Using natural repellents is a good alternative.
Conclusion
The dream of every gardener is to create an attractive garden filled with flowers and plants. Hummingbirds love your garden and you’ll watch your garden come alive with buzzing hums.
Most of the flowers hummingbirds love are unattractive to rabbits, deer, and plant-destroying insects. This creates safe gardening soil for your plants and allows them to thrive.
Most hummingbirds in the United States migrate into interior desert regions and warmer coasts, where more nectar-producing plants are present.