How to Guide

Creating a hummingbird-
and oriole-friendly yard
Flowers, feeders, perches, insects, and water are the
key ingredients to a healthy yard that will attract these
amazing jewels. Since hummingbirds and orioles naturally
frequent openings in the forest and forest edges, they are
readily drawn to suburban and rural gardens that oer
a mix of tall trees, shrubs, meadow, and lawn. During
migration, they frequent parks and urban yards planted
with bright flowers.
START WITH A SKETCH OF YOUR YARD
Indicate the location of your home and outbuildings.
Include trees, shrubs, flower beds, and other features that
may benefit hummingbirds and orioles. Use your sketch
to determine the best location for your nectar gardens.
Hummingbird gardens need not be large—even a window
box or hanging planter will do.
THINK VERTICALLY
Grow a cascade of nectar-rich plants by securing a trellis
to your house and planting trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera
sempervirens) beneath it. Trees and garden sheds can also
support sturdy trellises for trumpet vine (Campsis radi-
cans). Layer herbaceous or lower-growing plants (see plant
selections, opposite) in front of vines. Then add window
boxes, tubs, or ceramic pots to create a terraced eect and
provide growing places for a variety of nectar plants like
Hamelia patens, cigar plant (Cuphea spp.), and justicias.
PROVIDE A WATER FEATURE
Like most birds, hummingbirds frequently bathe in
shallow water, and may preen or flit through the droplets
generated by garden misters, drip systems, and small
pump-fed waterfalls. Orioles also prefer shallow water—
no more than two inches deep.
CHOOSE PLANTS WITH RED, PINK, OR ORANGE
FLOWERS, AND WITH A TUBULAR SHAPE
Tubular flowers contain nectar at the bottom, which encour-
ages these long-beaked birds to probe for their sweet meal.
In general, flowers that rely on fragrance to attract insect
pollinators are not good nectar sources, as most birds have a
poor sense of smell.
SOFT LININGS ARE IMPORTANT
Hummingbirds usually line their nests with soft plant fibers,
so grow cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), which has
fuzzy stems, and pussy willow (Salix discolor), which has
fuzzy flowers. If your yard contains thistle (Cirsium spp.) and
dandelion (Taraxacum ocinale), allow some to remain—
their fluy seeds provide nesting material.
SELECT PLANTS THAT BLOOM AT DIFFERENT TIMES
This provides nectar throughout the growing season. This
is especially important in early spring when migrants first
return, exhausted from their long travels.
PLANT PATCHES OF THREE OR MORE INDIVIDUAL
PLANTS OF THE SAME SPECIES
This will provide larger quantities of nectar. Also, prune the
tips of flowering plants to encourage more flowers.
AVOID PESTICIDES
Nectar eaters also benefit from eating protein-rich insects.
Birds can ingest poisons when they eat contaminated
insects, and systemic herbicides can make their way into
flower nectar. Let birds be your natural insect control.
Using feeders
This will help attract the birds until your garden flowers are
flourishing and lure birds up close for better viewing. To prepare
a sugar water solution, mix one part white sugar with four parts
water. Bring the mixture to a boil to sterilize it and dissolve all
of the sugar. Store any unused mixture in a refrigerator. Clean
feeders every two or three days under hot running tap water,
scrubbing them with a bottlebrush to eliminate fungus. Like-
wise, do not use honey in feeders, as this can grow mold. Also
avoid red food coloring—it is unnecessary.
To help attract hummingbirds to new feeders, tie a cluster of
plastic red flowers over the feeder entrance. Lure orioles and
tanagers up close by oering halved oranges on spikes or
grape jelly in special feeders or small bowls.
PROVIDE TREES AND SHRUBS
Hummingbirds and orioles use trees for perching and
nesting. Large tree trunks may also provide a source of
lichens, which many hummingbirds attach to the outsides
of their nests with spider silk for camouflage. Humming-
birds usually nest in the forks of small, sti tree branches;
orioles favor the drooping branches of maples, poplars,
willows, and conifers. If your garden does not include trees
or shrubs, a dead branch with small perching twigs makes a
good substitute. Locate these perches near your garden or
sugar water feeders.
LEARN WHEN TO EXPECT YOUR LOCAL HUMMINGBIRDS
This will help you select plants that bloom when hum-
mingbirds are most likely to visit and determine when to
put out hummingbird feeders. Don’t worry that leaving
feeders up too long will prevent hummingbirds from
migrating on time; migration is triggered mainly by day
length rather than food availability. In regions where win-
ter freezes are rare, some hummingbirds and orioles may
stay through winter.
FAVOR NATIVE PLANTS
Learn which native plants hummingbirds feed on in nearby
natural areas, and include these in your garden. Native plants
and nectar-eating birds have a long association.
BIRD FEEDING BASICS
Nectar plants for
northern gardens
Bearded Tongue (Penstemon spp.): perennial
Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa, Monarda didyma):
perennial with purple, pink, or red flowers
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis): perennial;
requires moist soil, partial shade
Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): perennial with
orange-yellow flowers
Coral Bells (Heuchera sanguinea): compact perennial
with small red flowers
Jewelweeds (Impatiens spp.): annual
Madrone (Arbutus menziesii): northwestern tree
Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.): low shrubs and
groundcovers
Paintbrushes (Castilleja spp.): annuals and perennials
Hyssops (Agastache spp): perennial herbaceous
Salvias (Salvia spp): perennials and annuals
Solomon’s-seal (Polygonatum biflorum): perennial
Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens): well
behaved vine with orange flowers
Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans): orange or yellow
flowers on large vine requiring substantial support
Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata): low-growing,
shrubby vine
Nectar plants for
southern gardens*
Coral Bean (Erythrina herbacea): southern shrub or
small tree
Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla): southwestern
shrub, blooms year-round
Fire Pink (Silene virginica): bright red flowered
perennial
Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica): bright red
flowered perennial
Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia): small southeastern
native tree with bright red flowers
Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra): southern
biennial or perennial
*Check with local nurseries to determine tolerance for temperature extremes.