Plant These Red Flowers to Attract More Hummingbirds

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If you want to attract more hummingbirds to your garden, planting red flowers is one of the best places to start.

Hummingbirds are naturally drawn to bright colors, especially shades of red, scarlet, pink, and orange.

By filling your garden with nectar-rich blooms, you can create a colorful outdoor space that’s alive with hummingbird activity all summer long.

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Many of these flowers fit beautifully into cottage gardens, where they add height, color, and charm while supporting pollinators.

Why Hummingbirds Love Red Flowers

Hummingbirds have excellent color vision and are particularly attracted to bright red blooms.

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While they don’t feed on color alone, red flowers often signal a rich source of nectar. Choosing a variety of flowering plants with staggered bloom times can help provide food throughout the growing season.

Bee Balm (Monarda)

Bee balm is one of the best flowers for attracting hummingbirds. Its bright red blooms are packed with nectar, and the unique flowers add a whimsical touch to cottage gardens.

Bee balm blooms throughout summer and is also loved by bees and butterflies.

Cardinal Flower

Cardinal flower produces striking spikes of brilliant red flowers that hummingbirds simply can’t resist. This native perennial thrives in moist soil and adds dramatic vertical interest to the garden.

Red Salvia

Salvia is a hummingbird favorite thanks to its tubular flowers and long bloom season. Red varieties are especially attractive and perform well in sunny flower beds and containers.

Dahlias

Single-flowered dahlias and open-centered varieties provide nectar for pollinators while adding stunning color to summer gardens.

Red dahlias create eye-catching focal points and fit beautifully among other cottage garden flowers.

Hollyhocks

Tall red hollyhocks bring old-fashioned charm to cottage gardens and provide a food source for hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Red Zinnias

Zinnias are easy-to-grow annuals that bloom continuously from summer until frost. Their bright colors attract butterflies and hummingbirds while adding cheerful color to garden beds.

Red Petunias

Petunias work well in containers, hanging baskets, and flower beds. Their trumpet-shaped flowers are ideal for hummingbirds and provide months of blooms.

Related reading: Cottage Garden Flowers That Bloom All Summer

Crocosmia

Crocosmia produces graceful arching stems covered with fiery red-orange flowers that hummingbirds adore. It makes a beautiful accent plant in cottage-style landscapes.

Creating a Hummingbird-Friendly Cottage Garden

For the best results, combine several nectar-rich flowers together to create a continuous source of food. Grouping flowers in clusters makes them easier for hummingbirds to spot.

Consider combining:

Bee balm
Dahlias
Hollyhocks
Salvia
Zinnias
Petunias

for a colorful display that attracts pollinators throughout the growing season.

You can also explore more flower-growing ideas in these cottage garden articles:

Planting red flowers is one of the easiest ways to attract hummingbirds to your garden.

Whether you’re growing bee balm, dahlias, hollyhocks, or salvia, these colorful blooms provide both beauty and a valuable food source for pollinators.

By incorporating a variety of nectar-rich flowers into your cottage garden, you can enjoy a season full of color, movement, and hummingbird visits.

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