Hummingbirds eat an amazingly large amount of nectar each day; they lick it up with their tiny, forked tongues, preferring flowers with long throats to hold the nectar, kind of like a cup. Hummingbirds will also eat small insects like ants and gnats, as well as small spiders, but nectar is their primary source of food…and they require a lot of that. A single hummingbird will feed 5 to 8 times per hour during daylight hours and will drink up to half of their body weight in a single day.
Grow it and they will come! Hummingbirds will readily eat from a feeder, though flowers are their cuisine of choice. Additionally, unlike a feeder, flowers are so much more pleasing to the senses. You can cut some to adorn your dining room table! There is no such thing as too many hummingbird-attracting plants. Hummers are quite expert gossipers and will spread the word ensuring your garden is a hub of hummingbird activity, growing exponentially, year by year.
The bonus: hummingbirds will often nest very near their favorite source of food; if you listen closely, you can hear those itty-bitty hummingbird cheeps as eggs hatch and hatchlings grow. Growing with purpose will ensure the continued health of this tiny bird species that provides so much simple joy in the watching. Tap the links below to view, by color, some of the top plants for Hummingbird Gardens:
Top 5 Orange Flowering Plants for a Hummingbird Haven
Top 5 Pink Flowering Plants for a Hummingbird Haven
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