Native Plants for Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are attracted to shrubs and plants that have bright tubular flowers. The following list of plants should help you get started, but experiment with your own selection of native plants as this list is not exhaustive. Other helpful books include: Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in British Columbia and Washington by Lyons and Merilees; Trees and Shrubs of British Columbia by Brayshaw; and Plants of Coastal British Columbia: Including Washington, Oregon, and Alaska by Pojar, MacKinnon and Alaback. Legend: Exposure: S= Full Sun, P= Partially sunny, Sh=Shady; Moisture: D=Dry, M= Moist, W=Wet.

Trees

Name /

Exposure

/

Moisture

/

Height (m)

/ Colour / Bloom / Value
Black Hawthorn / S / M / 10 / White flowers / May / Fruit
Crataegus douglasii / Apple-like fruit / Summer / Nesting
Pacific Crab Apple / Sh / M, W / 2-12 / Pink/white flowers / April/May / Apples
Malus fusca / Yellow/red apples / July-Oct
Vine Maple / Sh / M / 20 / White flowers / May / Winged fruits/seeds
Acer circinatum

Shrubs and Vines

Name /

Exposure

/

Moisture

/

Height (m)

/ Colour / Bloom / Value
Black Twinberry / Sh / M, W / 0.5-3 / Yellow tubular flowers / April-May / Nectar
Lonicera involucrata / Black berries / July-August
Common Snowberry / S, P / D, M / 0.5-2 / Pink-white bell flowers / May-June / Nectar
Symphoricarpos albus / White berries / Winter
Evergreen Huckleberry / S, P / D, M / 4 / Deep pink flowers / April-July / Nectar
Vaccinium ovatum / Purple/black berries / Summer- Nov
Gummy Gooseberry / S, P / D, M / 0.5-2 / Red-fushia flowers / Spring / Nectar
Ribes lobbii / Sticky, hairy berries
Indian Plum / S, P / D, M / 1.5-5 / Green/white flowers / March / Nectar
Oemleria cerasiformis / Blue/black fruit / Summer
Mock Orange / S / D, M / 3 / White flowers / June / Nectar
Philadelphus lewisii var. gordonianus
Nootka Rose / S / D, M / 3 / Pink flowers / May-June / Nectar
Rosa nutkana / Purple/red rosehips / Summer-Winter
Oceanspray / S / D, M / 4 / White-cream flowers / June-July / Nectar
Holodiscus discolor
Red Elderberry / S, P / M, D / 6 / White-cream flowers / April-May / Nectar
Sa racemosa spp. puberus var. arborescens / Red berries / June-July
Red Flowering Currant / S, P / D / 1-3 / Red/pink flowers / April-May / Nectar
Ribes sanguineum / Blue/black berries
Salmonberry / S, P / M, W / 4 / Pink/red flowers / April-May / Nectar
Rubus spectabilis / Yellow-red berries / June-Aug
Thimbleberry / S / D, M / 0.5-3 / White flowers / May-June / Nectar
Rubus parviflorus / Red raspberryish fruit / July-Aug
Western Trumpet Honeysuckle / P, Sh / M / 6 / Trumpet orange/yellow flowers / May / Nectar
Lonicera ciliosa / Orange-red berries / Sept

Ground Cover

Name

/

Exposure

/

Moisture

/

Height (m)

/ Colour / Bloom / Value
Kinnikinnick / S / D / 0.2 / Pink/white flowers / Summer / Nectar
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi / Red berries / Aug-Winter
Twinflower / S, Sh / M, W / 0.1 / Pink trumpet flowers / June-July / Nectar
Linnaea borealis / Seeds catch on birds and mammals

Perennials

Name /

Exposure

/

Moisture

/

Height (m)

/

Colour

/ Bloom / Value
Arctic Lupine / S, P / D, M, W / 1.5 / Purple flowers / Spring / Nectar
Lupinus arcticus
Canada Goldenrod / S / D, M / 1.5 / Yellow flowers / July-Aug / Nectar
Solidago canadensis
Cooley's Hedge-nettle / S, P / M / 0.7-1.5 / Deep red-purple flowers / June-July / Nectar
Stachys cooleyae
Fireweed / S / D, M / 0.8-3 / Rose-purple flowers / June-July / Nectar
Epilobium angustifolium
Large-leaved Lupine / S, P / D, M, W / 1.5 / Purple flowers / Spring / Nectar
Lupinus polyphyllus
Nodding Onion / S / D / 0.5 / White flowers / Spring / Nectar
Allium cernuum
Pacific Bleeding Heart / Sh / M / 0.1-0.4 / Pink/purple flowers / May-June / Nectar
Dicentra formosa
Red columbine / S, P / M / 1 / Yellow-red flowers / May-June / Nectar
Aquilegia formosa
White Fawn Lily / S, Sh / M / 0.3 / White flowers / April / Nectar
Erythronium oregonum
Yarrow / S, P / D / 0.5-1 / White-pink flowers / June-July / Nectar
Achillea millefolium

Sources: Naturescape BC- The Stewardship Series, 1995; Butterflies of the North Cascades, BC Wildlife Watch, 1998; IUE brochure: Native Plants and your Garden; Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in British Columbia and Washington by Lyons and Merilees; Trees and Shrubs of British Columbia by Brayshaw; and Plants of Coastal British Columbia: Including Washington, Oregon, and Alaska by Pojar, MacKinnon and Alaback.