Hummingbirds are a beloved backyard visitor with their jewel-toned feathers and aerobatic flying skills. As efficient pollinators of flowers, it’s natural to wonder if attracting hummingbirds to your yard will also boost pollination and yields from vegetable plants.
Do hummingbirds pollinate vegetables?
Hummingbirds do pollinate some vegetable flowers, but they are not efficient pollinators for most vegetable crops. There are a few main reasons for this:
- Hummingbirds prefer flowers with sturdy petals that can support their weight. Most vegetable flowers have thin, delicate petals.
- Hummingbirds have long, slender beaks and tongues adapted for deep tubular flowers. Vegetable flowers tend to be more open and shallow.
- Many vegetables are self-pollinating or primarily wind pollinated.
- Hummingbirds prefer nectar-rich ornamental flowers over vegetables.
While hummingbirds may incidentally pollinate vegetable blossoms while visiting a yard, they do not actively seek them out. And the anatomy of hummingbirds and most vegetables makes for inefficient pollen transfer. So attracting hummingbirds to your vegetable garden will likely not improve yields.
Do hummingbirds pollinate any vegetable crops?
There are a handful of vegetable plants that benefit to some degree from hummingbird pollination. These include:
- Red tubular flowers – Hummingbird-pollinated ornamental plants often have red tubular blossoms. Some vegetables like nasturtium, runner beans, and scarlet runner beans have similar red bell-shaped flowers that appeal to hummingbirds.
- Nightshades – Plants in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, including tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, sometimes attract hummingbirds. Their open, bowl-shaped flowers are accessible to hummingbirds’ long beaks.
- Squash – Large squash blossoms hold a good amount of nectar that hummingbirds will drink. Very small hummingbird species can fit inside squash flowers for pollination.
However, even these plants are mostly bee or wind pollinated. Hummingbirds may supplement other pollinators, but their impact is minor. And any vegetable with small or closed flowers is inaccessible to hummingbirds.
What vegetables do hummingbirds pollinate?
Here is more detail on the specific vegetable plants that hummingbirds may help pollinate and how effective they are:
Nasturtium
These ornamental edible flowers have a spur-shaped blossom perfectly suited for hummingbirds. The bright orange and red colors also attract them. Nasturtiums produce large amounts of nectar, making them a favorite hummingbird food source.
Scarlet Runner Beans
Like other beans, scarlet runner beans produce red tubular flowers. Hummingbirds will drink the small amount of nectar from these blossoms. However, the primary pollinators are bees, who are much more efficient at transferring pollen between flowers.
Tomatoes
Tomato flowers are not especially attractive to hummingbirds. But they do contain some nectar at the flower base. And their open shape allows hummingbird access. So hummingbirds may occasionally visit and pollinate tomato blossoms, but bees and wind do the majority of pollination.
Peppers
Peppers produce small pendant flowers that contain minute amounts of nectar. Hummingbirds probing the flowers for nectar will pick up some pollen on their head and beak. But pepper plants are largely self-pollinating, so hummingbird pollination is rare.
Eggplants
Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants fall into the nightshade family and produce open, bowl-shaped blossoms. Their white or purple flowers also contain small amounts of nectar. So hummingbirds may occasionally visit and pollinate, but other pollinators are much more important for fruit set.
Squash/Pumpkins
Squash and pumpkin flowers are large and sturdy enough to support hummingbirds. The flowers also produce abundant nectar, making them attractive. Small hummingbird species like the bee or calliope hummingbird can fit inside squash flowers for deeper pollination. But the most effective squash pollinators are still bees, who visit more systematically.
Do hummingbirds pollinate any other vegetable garden plants?
Aside from the crops listed above, hummingbirds rarely pollinate other vegetable plants. Some other flowers they might visit include:
- Okra – Has red and yellow hibiscus-like flowers
- Cucumbers – Have open, yellow flowers with nectar
- Beans – Have tubular red flowers attractive to hummingbirds
But again, the overall impact of hummingbird pollination is negligible for these and most other vegetable plants. Their unique flower adaptations target bees as the primary pollinators in a vegetable garden, not hummingbirds.
Do hummingbirds help pollination in flower gardens?
Hummingbirds are extremely effective pollinators for many ornamental flowers with the following adaptations:
- Red, orange, or purple tubular blossoms
- Durable petals that can support hummingbird weight
- Nectar-rich blossoms
- Height and bloom time to match hummingbird migration
Some popular flowering plants pollinated by hummingbirds include:
| Flower | Colors | Bloom Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bee balm | Red | Summer |
| Cardinal flower | Red | Summer |
| Columbine | Red, orange, yellow | Spring to summer |
| Coral bells | Pink, purple | Spring to summer |
| Fuchsia | Purple, pink | Summer to fall |
| Trumpet vine | Orange, red | Summer to fall |
| Petunia | Purple, pink | Summer |
Including several of these hummingbird-friendly flowers in beds around your yard will attract hummingbirds for their visual beauty and pollination services.
Do hummingbirds pollinate fruit trees or shrubs?
Hummingbirds will pollinate the blossoms of some fruit plants, especially those with tubular red flowers. The most common fruits pollinated by hummingbirds include:
- Oranges, lemons, limes – Citrus flowers are a favorite hummingbird food source.
- Apples and pears – Hummingbirds visit apple blossoms but are minor pollinators.
- Currants and gooseberries – The bell-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds.
- Bananas – Hummingbirds will drink nectar from banana blossoms.
- Grapes – Grape flowers contain nectar accessible to hummingbirds.
However, the overall pollination impact of hummingbirds on these fruits is small. Bees are much more efficient at spreading pollen between blossoms. Other fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries have small or closed flowers that exclude hummingbirds entirely.
Do hummingbirds pollinate any berries or vines?
In addition to currants and gooseberries, hummingbirds may help pollinate these berry crops:
- Raspberries – The white or pink flowers attract hummingbirds.
- Blackberries – Hummingbirds will visit the white flowers.
- Strawberries – Hummingbirds may pollinate strawberry blossoms while eating insects.
- Kiwi vines – The fuzzy, nectar-filled kiwi flowers appeal to hummingbirds.
But again, their minor pollination contribution is eclipsed by bees, who are the primary pollinator. Other berry plants like blueberries and cranberries have bell or urn-shaped flowers suited to bee anatomy, but difficult for hummingbirds to access.
Do hummingbirds pollinate any herbs or spices?
Aside from nasturtiums and beans used as edible flowers, hummingbirds do not significantly pollinate traditional cooking herbs. Some ornamental flowering herbs they may visit include:
- Bee balm
- Sage
- Fuchsia
- Lavender
- Mint
But classic culinary herbs like basil, parsley, oregano, and dill have tiny clustered flowers unsuited to hummingbird pollination. And most herbs are grown for leaves, not flowers or seeds, minimizing any pollination impact.
Do hummingbirds pollinate any root vegetables or mushrooms?
No, hummingbirds do not pollinate the flowers or spores of common root vegetables like carrots, beets, turnips, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, ginger, turmeric, or potatoes. Nor do they pollinate mushroom-producing fungi. Reasons these crops are incompatible with hummingbird pollination include:
- Underground flower production
- Tiny, non-showy wind-pollinated flowers above ground
- Inedible or poisonous flowers
- Lack of flowers entirely
- Spore-based reproduction in fungi
So hummingbird pollination does not boost yields for any underground vegetables, tubers, or mushrooms.
Do hummingbirds pollinate corn, grains, or grasses?
Hummingbirds do not significantly pollinate corn, cereal grains like wheat or oats, rice, or any grasses grown for food. These plants rely primarily on wind pollination. Reasons they are not pollinated by hummingbirds:
- Small, plain green or yellow flowers
- Dangling flower shape
- Minimal nectar
- Pollen broadcast through wind, not pollinators
- Seeds as food product, not fruit
Attracting hummingbirds to areas with these crops will not increase yields or grain production. Their pollination activity is focused on more ornamental flowering species.
How to attract hummingbirds to pollinate a garden
While hummingbird pollination is limited for most edible plants, you can invite these tiny dynamos to your yard. Follow these tips:
- Plant red, orange, or purple tubular flowers
- Choose flowers of varying heights that bloom from spring through fall
- Place feeders with proper nectar mix near plants
- Provide a water source like a fountain, mister, or bird bath
- Let flowering plants grow naturally instead of using pesticides
- Set up nest boxes or let vines tangle for shelter
With the right habitat, food sources, water, and nesting sites, hummingbirds will take residence in a yard to enjoy and pollinate ornamental flowers.
Key points
- Hummingbirds prefer flowers specially adapted to their anatomy, like red tubular blossoms.
- They incidentally pollinate some vegetables with open flowers like tomatoes and squash.
- But most vegetable pollination is done by bees and wind, not hummingbirds.
- Hummingbirds are extremely effective pollinators of many ornamental flowers.
- Attract hummingbirds to gardens by providing nectar plants, feeders, water sources, and shelter.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds play a minor role in pollinating a handful of vegetable crops with suitable flower types. But their pollination contributions are dwarfed by bees and wind pollination. Hummingbird anatomy and behavior is adapted for ornamental flowers over vegetables. While their hovering flight and nectar feeding brings beauty to backyards, dedicated vegetable growers should plan for bee pollination as the best way to maximize yields.
