Nothing excites me more than seeing a hummingbird zooming through my garden. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures, and it always inspires me to add more hummingbird plants to my garden and make it a welcoming destination for them.
Hummingbirds begin arriving in North Texas during spring migration, and some stay here throughout the summer before heading south in fall. The best times to spot them in your garden are generally March through May and again from August through October. I see the greatest number during fall migration, when the weather is cooler and late-season flowers are still plentiful.
To attract hummingbirds to your North Texas garden, it’s important to plant what they need most: nectar-producing flowers. Not all flowers provide the nectar that they need, so knowing which plants are best for hummingbirds is key. Let’s take a look at some of the best plant picks for attracting hummingbirds to your DFW garden this year.
What Hummingbirds Need
Attracting hummingbirds is about more than planting a few colorful flowers. A garden that consistently draws hummingbirds provides four basic things: nectar-rich flowers, insects, water, and places to rest. Meet those needs, and your chances of seeing hummingbirds throughout the season increase dramatically.
Nectar-Rich Flowers
Hummingbirds depend on nectar for the energy needed to fuel their incredibly fast metabolism and support their migration. They naturally seek out tubular flowers, where their long beaks and tongues can easily reach the nectar. Planting a variety of nectar-producing flowers is the best way to attract them and keep them returning to your yard.
Insects for Protein
Although hummingbirds are famous for feeding on flowers, nectar isn’t their only food source. They also consume tiny insects and spiders, which provide essential protein and nutrients, especially during nesting season. A healthy, pesticide-free garden supports these natural food sources. Remember: even organic pesticides can be harmful to beneficial insects. Avoid using pesticides of any kind and focus on preventative measures.
Places to Rest
Hummingbirds spend much of the day feeding, but they also need places to perch. Small trees, shrubs, and sturdy flower stems give them a place to rest, preen, and watch over their territory between feeding trips. Small ornamental trees and large flowering bushes can serve this purpose.
A Reliable Water Source
Unlike many birds, hummingbirds rarely use traditional birdbaths. They prefer shallow moving water, such as a mister, dripper, or the gentle spray from a fountain. Providing fresh water can make your landscape even more attractive to visiting birds.
Continuous Blooms
One or two flowering plants won’t provide enough nectar throughout the year. Instead, choose plants that bloom at different times so food is available from spring through fall. A succession of blooms will attract more hummingbirds and encourage them to visit your garden throughout the season.
Best Hummingbird Plants for Our Area
Now that you know what hummingbirds are looking for, the next step is choosing plants that provide those resources. The best hummingbird plants offer abundant nectar, bloom over a long period, and perform reliably in North Texas. By combining several of the plants below, you can create a landscape that provides a dependable food source from spring through fall while adding months of color to your garden.
Best Native Perennials
It’s important for us to add more native plants to our landscapes because so much of the hummingbird’s natural habitat has been lost to land development. Native plants also require less water and less maintenance.
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)
Autumn sage is one of the most reliable hummingbird plants for North Texas. This Texas native blooms heavily in spring and again in fall, often producing flowers through much of the summer with occasional irrigation.
- Bloom Time: Spring through frost
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: 2 to 3 feet
- Water: Low once established
- Native: Yes
Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)
Turk’s cap is one of the easiest hummingbird plants to grow in North Texas. It thrives in part shade where many flowering plants struggle and blooms almost continuously from summer until frost.
- Bloom Time: Summer through frost
- Sun: Part sun to shade
- Height: 3 to 5 feet
- Water: Low to moderate
- Native: Yes
Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)
Once established, Flame Acanthus thrives in intense heat with very little supplemental water, making it one of the toughest hummingbird plants for North Texas landscapes.
- Bloom Time: Summer through fall
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: 3 to 5 feet
- Water: Low
- Native: Yes
Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora)
This rugged Texas native forms attractive clumps of narrow, arching foliage and sends up tall, coral-red flower stalks from late spring through summer, often reblooming into fall. It thrives in our heat and needs little maintenance once established.
- Bloom Time: Late spring through fall
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: Foliage 2 to 3 feet; flower stalks up to 5 feet
- Water: Low once established
- Native: Yes
Best Annuals
Zinnias (Zinnia elegans)
Although butterflies are often the biggest fans of
- Bloom Time: Late spring through frost
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: Varies by variety
- Water: Moderate
Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)
Pentas are one of the easiest annuals for attracting hummingbirds and also bring in butterflies and other pollinators. We’ve found that the dark pink variety performs best in the DFW area.
- Bloom Time: Late spring through frost
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: 18 to 30 inches
- Water: Moderate
Cuphea (Cuphea ignea)
Few annuals bloom as consistently through North Texas heat as cuphea. It’s an excellent choice for containers and borders. Varieties of cuphea have been deemed “Flame-Proof” by the Dallas Arboretum.
- Bloom Time: Late spring through frost
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: 1 to 2 feet
- Water: Moderate
Best Vines
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
Crossvine is a native vine that quickly covers fences, arbors, and trellises while producing spectacular orange-red blooms. It is a personal favorite and the best vine to grow in North Texas.
- Bloom Time: Spring with occasional fall rebloom
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Height: 30 to 50 feet
- Water: Moderate
- Native: Yes
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
Unlike invasive Japanese honeysuckle, this well-behaved, native vine produces showy coral-red flowers with yellow interiors that hummingbirds eagerly visit. Train it on a trellis, arbor, or fence.
- Bloom Time: Spring through early summer, with occasional rebloom
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Height: 10 to 20 feet
- Water: Moderate
- Native: Yes
Cardinal Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)
Cardinal vine is a fast-growing annual vine that quickly covers trellises, fences, and obelisks with delicate, fern-like foliage and vibrant scarlet flowers. It is easy to start by seed and grows rapidly.
- Bloom Time: Summer through frost
- Sun: Full sun
- Height: 10 to 15 feet
- Water: Moderate
- Native: No (native to the tropical Americas)
When to Plant
Plant perennials in spring or fall. Keep in mind that fall plantings always perform better during the first year because they have time to establish deeper root systems through winter.
Look for annuals in nurseries in spring and early summer. Remember that the annuals listed here cannot tolerate frost, so don’t rush to plant. Wait until all chances of frost are gone.
For annuals that can be planted by seed like
Bring More Hummingbirds to Your Garden
You don’t need to grow every plant on this list to attract hummingbirds. In fact, a handful of well-chosen plants that bloom at different times of the year will provide a reliable source of nectar from spring through fall.
Whichever plants you choose, plant them in large groupings. Larges masses of flowers are easier for the hummingbirds to find. This mass planting technique also works for butterflies and bees. Plus, it makes your garden look better.
Don’t forget that hummingbirds need more than flowers. Providing places to perch, avoiding unnecessary pesticide use, and providing sources of fresh water will make your garden even more inviting to these flying friends.
If you’re gardening in North Texas, choosing plants that thrive in our climate is the first step toward success. Start with a few of these hummingbird favorites, and before long you’ll have regular visitors zipping through your garden all season long.
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About The Dallas Garden School
The Dallas Garden School is an online gardening school dedicated exclusively to helping gardeners succeed in North Texas. Through live classes, an extensive on-demand library, practical growing guides, and a supportive community, members learn exactly what to plant, when to plant it, and how to grow healthier, more productive gardens in our challenging climate. Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit, or simply trying to create a more beautiful landscape, The Dallas Garden School provides research-based, region-specific education that delivers results.
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