Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures that bring joy to backyard bird watchers everywhere. Their colorful, iridescent feathers and incredible aerial acrobatics make them a delight to observe. Attracting hummingbirds to your yard can be rewarding but challenging if you have mostly shaded areas. The good news is that there are several beautiful annual flowers that thrive in partial to full shade and will tempt hummingbirds to visit.
What Do Hummingbirds Need?
Hummingbirds have unique nutritional needs that must be met to attract them to your garden. Here’s what they require:
- High-energy nectar – Hummingbirds get most of their nutrition from flower nectar and tree sap. They need a lot of energy to power their wingbeats up to 70 times per second!
- Red flowers – Hummingbirds are especially attracted to red, orange and pink flowers that they can see from a distance.
- Tubular blossoms – Hummingbirds have specialized beaks and tongues for drinking from tubular flowers.
- Continuous blooms – Hummingbirds need a constant nectar supply from early spring through late summer.
- Water – Hummingbirds drink and bathe in water from bird baths, misters and fountains.
- Small perches – Hummingbirds frequently rest on low branches and wires where they are protected from predators.
If you meet these habitat needs, you’ll have a good chance of hummingbirds flocking to your shady garden. Focus on providing a diversity of tubular flowers in their favorite colors blooming from spring through fall.
Best Shade Annuals for Hummingbirds
Here are some of the best annual flowers for attracting hummingbirds in shaded gardens:
Impatiens
This popular bedding plant thrives in shade and blooms heavily all season with flat, wide flowers in a range of colorful shades. Hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar-rich, bright red and orange varieties.
- New Guinea Impatiens – Large, exotic flowers on lush foliage. Grows 10-20 inches tall.
- Patient Lucy Impatiens – Blooms in shades of red, pink, white, purple and blue. Grows 10-12 inches tall.
- Super Elfin Impatiens – Dwarf plants with loads of small, vividly colored flowers. Grows 6-10 inches tall.
Fuchsia
These beautiful hanging basket plants produce elegant drooping flowers irresistible to hummingbirds. Grow them in filtered sunlight or afternoon shade.
- Trailing Fuchsia – Profuse red and purple blooms on long cascading stems. Grows 36-48 inches long.
- Upright Fuchsia – Bright pink and red flowers on bushy 18-inch plants.
- Shade Fuchsia – Prolific blooms in shades of pink, red and purple. Grows 24-36 inches tall.
Pentas
With their bright star-shaped flower clusters, pentas are a tropical favorite of hummingbirds. They bloom constantly in warm weather.
- New Look Red Pentas – Loads of vivid red blooms on full, compact plants that grow 16 inches tall.
- Graffiti Pentas – Dense growth covered in rich lavender-pink flower clusters. Grows 14-28 inches tall.
- Butterfly Pentas – Bushy plants with dense umbels of pink, purple, red or white flowers. Grows 14-22 inches tall.
Coleus
Grown for their colorful foliage, some coleus varieties also produce spikes of tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. Look for flowering types.
- Crimson Gold Coleus – Red flowers on mounded plants with golden yellow leaves edged in crimson. Grows 12-14 inches tall.
- Fairway Ruby Coleus – Bright red blooms on compact plants with ruby red leaves. Grows 14-16 inches tall.
- Henna Coleus – Coppery orange leaves and spikes of rose-pink flowers. Grows 14-18 inches tall.
Lantana
A heat-loving annual covered in clusters of small, vibrantly colored flowers all summer long. Hummingbirds feast on their nectar.
- Lucky Red Lantana – Dense growth smothered in bright red flower clusters. Grows 12-16 inches tall.
- Lucky Gold Lantana – Mass of golden yellow blooms on bright green foliage. Grows 12-16 inches tall.
- Bandana Cherry Lantana – Loaded with flowers in hot pink, yellow, orange and red. Grows 12-16 inches tall.
Petunias
A backyard favorite, petunias bloom prolifically in hanging baskets and flower beds. Hummingbirds are attracted to the trumpet-shaped blossoms.
- Supertunia Vista Pink Petunia – Dense masses of bright pink flowers. Grows 6-12 inches tall.
- Supertunia Vista Paradise Petunia – Brightly colored mix of pink, purple, yellow and orange blooms. Grows 6-12 inches tall.
- Wave Petunias – Spreading groundcover types in shades of purple, pink, red and blue. Grow 4-6 inches tall.
Feeding Hummingbirds in Shade
Providing a continuous supply of fresh nectar will encourage hummingbirds to take up residence in your shady garden paradise. Here are some tips:
- Use a hummingbird feeder in a shady spot. Choose a brightly colored one that is easy to clean and fill.
- Make homemade nectar using 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. Boil to dissolve sugar and cool before filling feeders.
- Don’t use honey, artificial sweeteners, food coloring or additives. Plain white sugar nectar is healthiest.
- Change nectar every 2-3 days, or daily in hot weather. Rinse feeders well with hot water.
- Supplement feeders with plenty of nectar-rich annuals. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage new flowers.
- Consider a moving water feature with a mister or fountain. Hummingbirds bathe and drink in shallow moving water.
Designing a Hummingbird Haven
A shady garden can be transformed into a hummingbird oasis by incorporating these design elements:
- Plant drifts and clusters of red, orange, pink or purple shade-loving annuals.
- Include flowering vines like cypress vine and purple bell vine on fences, arbors and trellises.
- Use hanging and elevated containers for vivid color at bird’s eye level.
- Add tall flowers like lilies and gladiolus to extend nectar access.
- Incorporate tubular flowers of varying lengths to accommodate different hummingbird species.
- Make pathways with crushed red lava rock to simulate red blooms on the ground.
- Include low resting spots like branches, rocks and garden stakes near feeding areas.
Best Shrubs for Hummingbird Gardens
While annuals provide season-long nectar, flowering shrubs offer an earlier and later source of food. Here are top hummingbird shrubs for shade:
Azalea
Azaleas light up spring gardens with colorful tubular blooms that hummingbirds love. Choose evergreen varieties.
- Encore Azaleas – Bloom in spring, summer and fall. Hardy in zones 7-11.
- Annabelle Hydrangea – Massive white flower heads in summer. Hardy in zones 3-9.
- Oakleaf Hydrangea – Long white blooming panicles in summer. Hardy in zones 5-9.
Weigela
Weigela has bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red and white that attract hummingbirds all spring.
- Wine and Roses Weigela – Deep pink-red flowers with bronze foliage. Hardy in zones 4-8.
- Spilled Wine Weigela – Dark red blooms on low mounding shrub. Hardy in zones 4-8.
- My Monet Weigela – White, pink and red flowers on foliage edged in white. Hardy in zones 4-8.
Camellia
Camellias bloom in late winter and spring with lush, ruffled flowers full of nectar that hummingbirds harvest.
- Japonica Camellia – Abundant blooms in white, pink and red shades. Hardy in zones 7-10.
- Sasanqua Camellia – Dense growth covered in fall and winter blooms. Hardy in zones 7-10.
Other Shade Plants for Hummingbirds
Here are a few more plants that will attract hummingbirds to shady spaces in your garden:
- Aquilegia (Columbine) – Delicate blooms in spring and early summer. Part to full shade.
- Aster – Daisy-like flowers in late summer and fall. Prefers partial shade.
- Bee Balm – Dense clusters of tubular flowers in summer. Part to full shade.
- Coral Bells – Spring flowering with long blooming period. Shade loving.
- Foxglove – Vertical spikes of tubular flowers in summer. Part to full shade.
- Hollyhock – Tall spires of big blooms summer into fall. Partial shade.
Providing Water for Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds don’t just feed on nectar, they also need fresh water for bathing and drinking. Make sure to provide water sources in or near your shade gardens. Here are some options:
- Dripping or mister attachment on garden hose
- Misting rock or pedestal birdbath
- Fountain made for birds or butterflies
- Shallow bird bath placed on the ground or elevated
- Suction cups with dripper tips mounted to windows and rails
- Moving water like a small waterfall into a pool
Change the water frequently to avoid mosquitoes or algae. Place water sources out in the open at least 10 feet from dense shrubs or feeders where predators could lurk. Add a few perches made from small branches or stones for the hummers to rest.
Conclusion
With a little planning and planting, even mostly shady gardens can be welcoming havens for hummingbirds. Focus on providing continuous blooms of their favorite tubular annuals in bold colors like red, orange and pink. Supplement with flowering shrubs, vines and perennials that extend the season. Don’t forget essentials like nectar feeders and fresh water sources. Your efforts will be rewarded with amazing up-close views of these energetic, shimmering jewels through spring, summer and fall.
