Hummingbirds are attracted to brightly colored, tubular flowers that provide nectar. When selecting plants for hummingbird hanging baskets, it’s important to choose varieties that will attract these small, energetic birds. Some key things to consider when picking plants include:
Brightly Colored Flowers
Hummingbirds are visually oriented and attracted to the color red in particular. Choosing flowers in vivid shades of red, orange, pink, or purple will help draw hummingbirds to your hanging baskets. Some popular red flowering plants that hummingbirds love include:
- Scarlet sage
- Cardinal flower
- Fuchsia
- Coral bells
- Trumpet vine
You’ll want to select flowers that bloom throughout the season to provide a continuous nectar source. Massed clusters of color in your hanging baskets are ideal for catching a hummingbird’s eye.
Tubular Flowers
Hummingbirds have specialized long, slender beaks perfectly adapted for drinking nectar from tubular flowers. Some examples of tubular flowers that work well in hanging baskets include:
- Petunias
- Marigolds
- Nasturtiums
- Mimulus
- Foxglove
The flowers should not have a wide opening since it makes it harder for the hummingbird to access the nectar. Tubular flowers also keep insects out, reserving the nectar solely for hummingbirds.
Continuous Bloom
To keep hummingbirds coming back through the season, select a variety of plants that will bloom in succession. This ensures a constant food source for visiting hummingbirds. Some plants for maintaining continuous blooms include:
- Lantana – blooms spring to frost
- Petunias – bloom spring to frost
- Fuchsia – summer into fall
- Salvia – summer into fall
- Impatiens – spring to fall
Stagger planting fast-growing annuals like impatiens and petunias with later blooming perennials. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage prolonged bloom.
Native Plants
Incorporating native plants into your hanging baskets can provide hummingbirds with their preferred natural food sources. Some great native options include:
- Wild columbine
- Trumpet honeysuckle
- Cardinal flower
- Bee balm
- Coral honeysuckle
Check with your local garden nursery to find native plants suitable for hanging baskets in your region. This will increase visits from local hummingbirds.
Nectar-Rich Flowers
When choosing blooms, select flowers known to produce ample nectar to sustain hummingbirds. Some top nectar producers include:
- Fuchsia
- Petunias
- Begonias
- Salvia
- Verbena
- Geranium
Flowers with long, tubular shapes tend to hold more nectar as well. Go for flowers with a high nectar content to keep hummingbirds satisfied and continuously revisiting your hanging baskets.
Plant Placement
To draw hummingbirds to your hanging baskets, proper placement is key. Hang them in a spot where hummingbirds frequent such as:
- Near a window – provides indoor viewing
- By a garden flower bed – complements other plantings
- Near a hummingbird feeder – maximizes their visits
- Along a deck or porch – provides up close viewing
- In a tree – position at eye level
Morning sun is ideal as hummingbirds are most active earlier in the day. Make sure to hang the baskets securely so they don’t sway in the wind.
Non-Native Flowers to Avoid
Some common non-native flowering basket plants that offer little nectar rewards for hummingbirds include:
- Wax begonias
- Dragon wing begonias
- Ornamental grasses
- Coleus
- Vinca
- Sweet potato vine
These plants may look pretty but don’t provide much benefit for hungry hummingbirds. They are better used as accent or filler plants.
Basket Materials
Hanging baskets come in a variety of materials including:
- Sphagnum moss – absorbs lots of water
- Coconut coir – naturally anti-fungal
- Plastic – affordable and durable
- Wicker – aesthetically pleasing
- Wire – allows airflow around roots
The most suitable material depends on factors like sun exposure and how often you can water. Well-drained baskets help prevent root rot.
Basket Size
For hanging hummingbird baskets, a 12″ diameter basket is recommended. This provides plenty of room for the best nectar producing plants. Larger 14-16″ baskets tend to be heavy once filled with soil and require more watering. Small 10″ baskets may look undersized compared to the scale of the hanging hooks.
Soil and Fertilizer
Use a good quality, lightweight potting mix in hanging baskets. The soil should have these characteristics:
- Good drainage
- Moisture retaining
- Nutrient rich
- Fast draining
A starter fertilizer will provide nutrients for optimal growth and flowering. Timed release fertilizers will continue feeding plants over many weeks or months.
Water Needs
Due to quick drying from wind and sun exposure, hanging baskets require frequent watering. Check the soil daily and water when the top inch becomes dry. Early morning watering gives the foliage time to dry out during the day, preventing disease.
Some tips for watering hanging baskets:
- Water until it drains from the bottom holes
- Use a water wand to reach high baskets
- Add water retaining polymer crystals to the soil
- Line the basket with sphagnum moss to increase moisture
- Water more often in hot, dry, or windy conditions
Consistent watering will keep your flowers blooming and providing nectar for hummingbirds.
Fertilizer Needs
While potting mix contains starter fertilizer, plants in hanging baskets still require additional regular feeding. Using a liquid fertilizer weekly or a timed release granular fertilizer will promote prolific flowering.
Liquid Fertilizer
- Apply weekly according to label rates
- Easy to mix into watering can
- Provides an immediate nutrient boost
- Can be rinsed out with frequent watering
Timed Release Fertilizer
- Releases nutrients slowly over time
- Added to soil when planting
- Provides continuous feeding for months
- Reduces risk of fertilizer burn
Pay close attention to label instructions to avoid over-fertilizing hanging baskets. Feed them consistently but avoid heavy concentrations of nutrients.
Deadheading
Removing spent blooms by pinching or cutting them off, known as deadheading, will help promote continuous flowering. Deadhead hanging plants by:
- Pinching off faded flowers by hand
- Using hand snips for removing individual dead blooms
- Cutting back flower stems part way with scissors or shears
Deadhead plants like petunias, fuchsia, and impatiens regularly to encourage prolonged bloom time. Just be careful of thorns on flowers like fuchsia. Discard any cuttings removed from the basket.
Safety Needs
Properly hanging your baskets will keep them secure and prevent accidents or injuries. Follow these tips:
- Use strong hooks and chains/rods that can support the weight
- Install screw eye hooks into a wood beam, rafter or stud
- Reinforce drywall with a wood block if not screwing into wood
- Hang baskets high enough to avoid being bumped into
- Position baskets out of walkways or seating areas
Checking hangers yearly and replacing any rusted hardware will keep baskets safely secured. Use care when watering or accessing high baskets to avoid falls.
Overwintering Plants
Some flowering basket plants can be overwintered indoors and reused the next year. To overwinter them:
- Move baskets indoors before first frost
- Find a sunny indoor location like a south window
- Trim back long vines and dead growth
- Water when soil feels dry
- Feed monthly with liquid fertilizer
The following plants can typically be overwintered successfully:
- Fuchsia
- Begonias
- Geraniums
- Impatiens
- Verbena
Not all plants will thrive when overwintered. Avoid leggy, diseased, or heavily infested plants.
Hummingbird Hanging Basket Ideas
Here are some suggested plant combinations for creating beautiful, hummingbird attracting hanging baskets:
All Red Basket
- Scarlet sage
- Cardinal flower
- Red petunias
- Fuchsia
- Lobelia
Red and Yellow Basket
- Scarlet sage
- Marigolds
- Yellow petunias
- Lantana
- Verbena
Red and Pink Basket
- Fuchsia
- Cardinal flower
- Pink petunias
- Verbena
- Salvia
Coral Colors Basket
- Coral bells
- Coral honeysuckle
- Coral impatiens
- Coral fuchsia
- Lobelia
Native Plants Basket
- Wild columbine
- Bee balm
- Trumpet honeysuckle
- Cardinal flower
- Mimulus
Mix and match different shaped flowers, textures, and colors for stunning appeal. Include trailing plants like ivy or vine plants. Use 3-5 different plants in each basket for diversity.
Conclusion
By choosing the right flowers, materials, and proper care, you can create beautiful hanging baskets that provide habitat and food sources to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Use brightly colored, tubular, nectar-rich blooms that will continue flowering through the seasons. With a little planning and effort, you can enjoy watching hummingbirds up close as they visit your lush hanging flower baskets all season long. The melodic buzzing of their wings will be a welcome addition to your garden.
