Guardians of the Garden

Featured Pollinator: The ruby-throated hummingbird

A Blooming Partnership

A ruby-throated hummingbird with spread wings perched on a branch. — Ruby-throated hummingbird, you can only see its red iridescence in direct light. Credit: iStockphoto

For successful pollination and survival, plants have evolved to charm and attract a variety of animals and insects, forming symbiotic partnerships that ensure mutual survival. Flowering plants, displaying bright displays, scents, and clever illusions, have adapted to attract pollinators. The unsuspecting pollinator is unaware of its special role in the life of the plant. Pollinators are simply drawn to these displays to feed, shelter, or rest on the plant. All the while, the plant takes advantage of that behavior to help ensure its own survival.

Besides bees, moths, and butterflies, many other animals are responsible for cross-pollination – or transferring male genetic material (pollen) to a female flower, which are usually on another plant of the same species. This is how flowering plants reproduce, creating seeds that grow into the next generation.

The ruby-throated hummingbird feeds from March to September in Florida. The plant’s pollen sticks to the hummingbird’s feathers during feeding and is transferred from plant to plant.

The Birds and the Bees

These endearing hummers are attracted to blooms with these features:

Tube-shaped flowers
Red, pink, or orange in color
Large in size, solitary or drooping clusters (1 to 3.5 inches)
Deep & full of nectar

Native Plants Attract Pollinators

Clusters of bright orange flowers with green leaves. — Established Asclepias tuberosa: butterfly weed. Credit © 2025 University of Florida / IFAS / Center for Aquatic & Invasive Plants

Florida-friendly natives can attract the ruby-throated hummingbird and other pollinators. Here are a few:

Artificial feeders are popular, but sugar does not replace nectar in a hummingbird’s diet. Opt for native plants to provide these hummers a healthy diet when they visit your garden.

Gardening for Pollinators

Visit this UF/IFAS Resource to learn more about how to plan your garden to support pollinators year-round: Support Florida’s Pollinators All Year Long – UF/IFAS Extension Polk County.

The Pollinator Impact

If you’ve ever grown a fruit tree at home and it produced fruit, it was most likely quietly pollinated. Pollinators’ influence extends far beyond our gardens:

In the U.S., over 150 food crops depend on pollinators
Land plants produce oxygen and store carbon, acting like Earth’s lungs
Some plants, such as mangrove trees, clean water and prevent erosion
Animal‑pollinated plants produce more than half of the world’s fats and oils
The USDA estimates that pollinator‑dependent crops are worth more than $10 billion each year
Approximately 80% of crops and plant-based industrial products require pollination by animals

Stay tuned for more pollinator stories or read the series.

Supervising agent: Dr. Whitney Elmore

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UF/IFAS Resources

WEC21/UW059: Hummingbirds of Florida