Leave These 5 Perennials Blooming for Longer – They Provide Vital Fuel for Migrating Hummingbirds Through Summer and Fall
Avoid deadheading these plants as they are vital nectar sources for hummingbirds
If you're deadheading perennials in June, it pays to be selective. While removing spent blooms can encourage repeat flowering, some nectar-rich plants are far more valuable left intact, providing a vital food source for hummingbirds as they prepare for their long migration south later in summer.
Take salvias, for example. A mature clump can produce dozens of flowering stems, each covered in nectar-rich tubular blooms. By mid to late summer, many of those flowers may look past their best, but they're still feeding wildlife. Cut every stem back, and any regrowth is likely to be limited, leaving far fewer flowers available in August and September when migrating hummingbirds need them most.
That's why I leave certain perennials well alone in late summer, particularly those still offering nectar to pollinators and migrating hummingbirds. If you're tempted to tidy up faded blooms, it might be worth waiting. Here are five perennials I never deadhead too soon.
1. Cardinal flower
Many late-blooming flowers to attract hummingbirds are considered plants you should not deadhead when the migration gets underway. Even brown and faded blooms can still contain plenty of sweet nectar, vital to help hummingbirds as they make their epic journey south.
The cardinal flower, or Lobelia cardinalis, is a scarlet-colored North American native wildflower that is an annual hit with pollinators.
If you’ve ever grown cardinal flowers, you’ll know just how fiercely hummingbirds adore them, and it is often considered one of the best perennials to attract hummingbirds.
You can find a beautiful, native cardinal flower at Plant Addicts.
It usually throws up vivid scarlet flower spikes from July through September, and there is no need for any deadheading. Once it’s blooming, leave it be. Unlike some perennials, I have found that cardinal flowers don't have a reliable rebloom late in the year, and every stem you cut is one less food source during migration.
Accessories Hummingbirds Will Adore
Part feeder, part sculpture, this glass hummingbird feeder will look good and bring birds to your yard.
This ready-to-use hummingbird nectar will help you to feed passing hummingbirds in your yard during the next few months.
Hummingbirds will love this feeder, and you get to observe them up close with the HD video feature.
2. Bee balm
As you can see from the image above, bee balm typically produces masses of red, pink or purple flowers, and if you are looking to attract hummingbirds, you won't find a better perennial.
The tubular bee balm flowers are popular with hummingbirds (and a whole host of other pollinators, too), prized for their high nectar content. And, just remember, that even if the flower petals have turned brown, nectar will still be found inside each bloom.
If you fancy adding a new Monarda variety to your borders or pots, try this 'Leading Lady Plum' variety, with live plants available from Burpee.
Hardy down to zone 4, this lilac perennial will keep any visiting birds and butterflies happy during summer and fall.
3. Penstemon
Whatever penstemons you grow, you'll have noticed just how popular these perennials are with pollinators. Their nectar-rich, tubular flowers are perfectly shaped for hummingbirds, which can often be seen hovering between blooms throughout summer, alongside butterflies, bees and other long-tongued pollinators.
Learning how to deadhead penstemon is simple enough, and cutting flower spikes back in early summer can encourage a second flush of blooms. However, by summer, I prefer to put the secateurs away. Even if the flower spikes are beginning to fade, they can still offer valuable nectar at a time when hummingbirds are feeding heavily ahead of their fall migration.
The Summit Sweets™ Ruby Beardtongue penstemon from Plant Addicts has ruby flower spikes hummingbirds will adore.
Late in the season, every flower counts. Rather than cutting back entire stems, leave any spikes that are still carrying blooms and nectar. To support continued flowering, feed plants with an organic bloom booster feed by Espoma, available via Amazon, which may encourage a few extra flower spikes before the first frosts arrive.
4. Salvia
Whether you grow salvia in pots or borders, these are stalwarts of any wildlife garden, especially in late summer. As members of the mint family, or Lamiaceae, they typically produce tubular, nectar-rich flowers that will be utterly irresistible to hummingbirds during summer.
While deadheading salvias is a good idea, from summer I would put the pruners down, and leave your plants alone.
Deadheading from this point onwards might give you a sprig or two of new growth, but it’ll come at the cost of what’s already there.
Even faded blooms are still full of nectar, and seeing brown petals is a price worth paying, in my opinion, if it means supporting hungry birds and pollinators.
If you want to add another salvia to your collection this summer, try Salvia 'May Night', from Fast Growing Trees.
5. Hummingbird mint
Hummingbird mint, or Agastache, easily makes this list of perennials to never deadhead for hummingbirds during their migration.
My dad has been enjoying the flowers of hummingbird mint for many weeks now, and once in full swing, this North American perennial can produce lilac spires that smell heavenly (like aniseed) right through until fall.
Importantly, hummingbirds are constant visitors to this plant, as you might have guessed by the name.
And, while it might be tempting to deadhead now in hopes of another flush, I’ve found that by summer, what you see is often what you get.
If you want to add a new variety to your plot, I love this Summerlong™ Coral Agastache from Plant Addicts, which will thrive in zones 7-10.
What to Shop
If you have hummingbird feeders in your yard, be sure to keep them clean during the growing season, using something like this hummingbird cleaner, available from Amazon, which will help to keep pests and problems at bay.
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