There are three species of hummingbirds in Florida, by far the most common species is the Ruby throated hummingbird. They are attracted to red, orange, and pink tubular flowers.
To attract hummingbirds to your yard, plant a variety of plant species that will bloom throughout the year. Some of our favorite native plants to attract hummingbirds include fire bush, coral honeysuckle vine, and coral bean. There are many other Florida native plants and Florida-Friendly plants to attract hummingbirds!
Firebush
Firebush is a native shrub from south Florida with orange tubular flowers. It can grow in USDA hardiness zones 8 – 11 and is drought tolerant once established. It’s best to plant fire bush in full sun but can grow in partial shade too. This beautiful shrub can grow to 10 – 12′ but some gardeners prune it to a lower height of 5 – 8′. While fire bush is sensitive to cold, if it freezes back it will often grow back from the base of the trunk. If you have a smaller space, try one of the dwarf cultivars of the firebush, such as Hamelia patens ‘Dwarf’ or ‘Compacta’.
Coral Honeysuckle
Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, is one of many vines that attracts hummingbirds, they also like the native cross vine and trump vines. Coral honeysuckle is a great choice for the home landscape with magnificent scarlet flowers that attract hummingbirds. It’s a long lived perennial, mostly evergreen vine that grows in a variety of conditions from full shade to partial shade. It can be grown all over Florida in zones 4 to 10. The berries are eaten by birds too. You can find coral honeysuckle for purchase at most native plant nurseries and search for them on Plant Real Florida.
Coral Bean
Coral bean, Erythrina herbacea, is a native shrub to small tree. In the spring, it produces spikes of red flowers with plenty of floral resources for hummingbirds. Coral bean grows in zones 8 to 11 and may freeze back in north Florida, however like the fire bush, it can grow back from the base of the truck. In south Florida, the coral bean can grow to a small tree although many urban gardeners do a little pruning to improve the plants shape.
Learn More
Native Plants on Gardening Solutions
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