The Only Red Flowers You Need to Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies to Your Yard this Summer – 5 Easy to Grow Varieties

It's no secret that pollinators are attracted to the brightest blooms, with red being one of the most effective colors for encouraging hummingbirds and butterflies. From cardinal flowers to coral honeysuckle, there are plenty of fiery-hued blooms that you can grow for them.

Growing these red flowers is one of the easiest ways to attract hummingbirds, as it signals to them that your yard is rich in nectar sources. As well as color, shape is also crucial. Both hummingbirds and butterflies benefit from tubular-shaped blooms, with the former having long beaks and the latter having long tongues. Having an abundance of flowers in your yard suited to these feeding habits is one of the most invaluable pollinator garden ideas.

The good news is that many of the best red flowers for hummingbirds and butterflies are straightforward to grow. Here, alongside insights from Bob Mulvihill, ornithologist at The National Aviary, I talk through five top picks.

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1. Cardinal Flower

'The number one hummingbird plant is the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). It's a perennial plant that also will self-seed where it is planted if conditions are right,' says Bob.

The cardinal flower is a beautiful plant with upright flower spikes of red tubular blooms. It thrives in USDA zones 3-9, enjoying full to partial sun. 'It prefers naturally damp soil but can tolerate drier soil if it is kept watered,' adds Bob.

'The pollen-bearing parts of the flower, the stigma and style, are situated so that they touch the top of the hummingbird's head as it inserts its bill deep to obtain the nectar,' explains the expert.

'That is what we mean by a hummingbird-adapted flower. It actually has evolved features (red color, long-necked flowers, generous nectar supply, and strategically placed anthers) that correspond to it being a product of natural selection for hummingbirds to be its primary pollinator.'

You can use these cardinal flower seeds from Amazon to grow this pollinator plant in your yard.

Bob Mulvhill

Bob Mulvhill has been the National Aviary’s Ornithologist since 2011. He developed his interest in birds at an early age and began volunteering at Powdermill Nature Reserve during college. He received a B.S. in Education at the University of Pittsburgh and earned a Master’s in Biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

2. Bee Balm

'In my experience, the second most attractive wildflower for hummingbirds is the red bergamot (Monarda didyma), which grows naturally in shade or part shade, especially along streambanks, but can tolerate more sun and generalized garden settings, too,' Bob says.

Also known as bee balm, this is one of the most invaluable plants for pollinators. With unusual, ragged, tube-shaped flowers, it's a popular flower among hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

'It's in the mint family, which most gardeners know means it can spread rapidly via root shoots. Once established, it can form a substantial patch,' Bob notes.

You can deadhead bee balm to encourage a second flush of blooms later in summer. Always use clean and sharp tools for this, like these Fiskars bypass pruning shears on Amazon.

There are so many different varieties of bee balm, but 'Cherry Pops' (available at Nature Hills) is one of the most vibrant pink-red options.

3. Coral Honeysuckle

One of the best climbers for hummingbirds is coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens). It's hardy across USDA zones 4-9 and enjoys full sun, also tolerating partial shade.

It has beautiful yellow, orange, and red tubular blooms, which come out in spring and last through summer.

You can grow coral honeysuckle at the back of a border or against a wall on a trellis (like this white lattice one from Wayfair), or you can grow honeysuckle in pots.

This native honeysuckle not only attracts hummingbirds with its tubular flowers and sweet nectar, but it also acts as a host plant for the spring azure butterfly.

You can find a coral honeysuckle vine on Amazon.

4. Wild Columbine

'Another native plant that is similarly adapted for pollination by hummingbirds is the wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis),' Bob says.

This beautiful wildflower is found across North America as a woodland plant, with bell-shaped blooms that are ideal for the likes of hummingbirds and butterflies.

'It's very shade-tolerant but needs sweet (i.e., higher pH, alkaline) soils. It often can be grown in a rock garden where limestone rocks are used,' Bob suggests.

You can use this soil test kit from Amazon to find out more about the pH and nutrient levels of your soil. You can then improve your garden soil for wild columbine if needed.

You can grow this native spring flower to attract hummingbirds by sprinkling these wild columbine seeds from Amazon.

5. Orange Jewelweed

'Orange or spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), is a self-seeding annual that will grow in full to part sun as long as it has damp feet,' Bob describes.

This wildflower is found across USDA zones 2-11 and is super easy to grow. You can sprinkle these orange jewelweed seeds from Amazon in your wildflower patch.

'It has explosive seed pods that give the plant its other common name, orange touch-me-not,' Bob describes.

It does best in shaded and partially shaded spots, with consistently moist soil. This makes it a great addition to beds alongside your garden pond, or under a tree canopy in a woodland garden.

It's a vital food source for hummingbirds and bumblebees, both of which are drawn to its high-sugar nectar.

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FAQs

Why Are Hummingbirds Attracted to Red?

Red is arguably the best color flower to attract hummingbirds because it signals high-energy nectar sources. Hummingbirds have evolved to be highly sensitive to these fiery hues to identify such sources. This is why you often find hummingbird feeders in red (like this hummingbird feeder from Walmart).

There are lots of other things you can do to attract hummingbirds to your yard, including using the red tape trick, or you can make a hummingbird planter for your patio or balcony.

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