Hummingbirds can be lured to shady places

Last week I profiled some sun loving plants that attract

hummingbirds. This week I’ll discuss my favorite shade dwellers

that hummingbirds adore. There aren’t as many, since producing

flowers requires energy. There’s less sunlight, so usually that

means less spectacular blooming.

I’ll cover the annuals first. My favorite two flowers are

wishbone plant and monkey flower, both underused around here in

my opinion. Lobelia is another and also a good hummingbird

attractor, but its best bloom is in spring or fall, and the

birds aren’t as numerous then.

Wishbone plant is often referred to by its Generic name of

Torenia. Wishbone plant has tubular tricolored flowers that are

usually white, yellow and either red, pink or purple. Some

varieties trail and others grow upright. Afternoon shade is

critical for this one. Direct hot sun will wipe it out.

Monkey flower is an impressive bloomer for shady spots.

Flowers are generally yellow or orange and showy. They somewhat

resemble large snapdragons. Plants are desired by hummingbirds

but despised by deer. That’s a desirable trait as deer are a

major problem, especially in shade, where they have more cover.

Both wishbone plants and monkey flowers perform well in

flowerbeds and pots. People looking for hanging baskets

shouldn’t overlook fuchsia. It’s a great hummingbird attracting

plant with very unique flowers.

On the perennial side, two plants that immediately come to

mind are columbine and coral bells. Both grow well in shady

places and both are butterfly and hummingbird magnets.

Columbine comes in different colors. Many are bicolored.

Flowers have a distinctive nectar spur, much like nasturtiums

do. Foliage is somewhat clover like. Further north these plants

tolerate significantly more sunlight. Here in eastern North

Carolina they must have afternoon shade.

Gardeners with shady places should have coral bells. These

are durable perennials that hold their own but don’t crowd out

other plants. Butterflies love them and hummingbirds flock to

them.

The funny thing is that coral bell flowers are neither

large nor showy. Coral bells are normally grown for their

colorful geranium-like foliage, but the flowers are great for

attracting pollinators. Plants grow well in shade but also

handle sun pretty well.

The variety of shade loving shrubs that attract

hummingbirds is thin. Azaleas grow well here and they attract

hummingbirds pretty effectively. The problem is that they don’t

have a long blooming season. Re-blooming cultivars like the

Encore series have lessened this problem, but plants still don’t

bloom in summer. Rhododendrons are great hummingbird attractors,

but they have the same problem and don’t grow well around here.

Hydrangeas attract hummingbirds and there are many types to

choose from. The climbing types have white flowers and do very

well in afternoon shade. Oak leaf hydrangea is another white

blooming variety. It’s quite drought tolerant and will grow well

in sunny spots.

Hummingbirds seek out flowers. Flowers are less prevalent

in shady places. Therefore, fewer options are available for

hummingbird lovers with shady environments. That probably makes

sugar feeders more necessary. It also makes the quest more

challenging to stretch out the blooming season.