8 Beautiful Plants That Attract Hummingbirds To Container Gardens

One of the easiest ways to give your patio a glow-up is by gathering some potted plants that attract hummingbirds. Not only does it result in a gorgeous floral display that you can arrange and rearrange to your heart’s content, but it also leads to an influx of colorful, winged visitors. We love watching them zip around the yard as their iridescent feathers sparkle in the sun, and they love pollinating our flowers—everybody wins!  

To make your hummingbird planter, include a mix of flowers with the tallest varieties in the center of the pot, surround them with a ring of shorter, more mounded plants, and then finish it off with some trailing “spiller” plants around the edges.

These tall, tubular flowers are the exact color and shape hummingbirds can’t resist: cardinal red!

Surprisingly, hummingbirds and raging bulls have something in common: they both love the color red! Choose as many red flowers as you can to make your planter more effective. (Disclaimer: we are not responsible if a herd of raging bulls ends up on your front porch.)

Here are the 8 best flower varieties to add to your DIY hummingbird garden in Houston:

Sonnet Snapdragons: These tall, tubular flowers are the exact shape hummingbirds can’t resist! The flowers have a fluted shape like a champagne glass—pretty much the perfect design for hummingbirds to sip the nectar with their long, skinny beaks. Snapdragons will  bloom Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons, so they’re great for bringing some fall color to the yard after your Summer annuals start to die back.

Pansies: These beauties add so much color and interest to our cool weather garden in the gulf coast area.  There are so many to choose from, but good news is, the hummers love all varieties the same!

Geraniums: These popular flowers are super low-maintenance and easy to care for, and as long as they get 6–8 hours of sunshine per day, you shouldn’t encounter any major issues. They grow in a shorter, more mounded form, so they’re fantastic filler plants to surround the planter’s main focal point. Try not to water them overhead; instead, water the soil directly to avoid moisture collecting in the leaves and developing mildew.   

Dianthus: Wow!!! That’s what you will say once you plant these amazing flowers.  You can choose from a huge pallet of colors and growing heights from 8”-18”.  There is always a dianths for your color scheme.  Thy the Amazon variety!!!  You can thank me later!

Red Hot Pokers: These distinctive blooms look just like lit torches, and those fiery colors draw in hummingbirds like moths to a flame. While they’re pretty drought-tolerant, it’s a good idea to water them generously during the super-hot summer months. Just make sure the soil is well-draining and the container has drainage holes to prevent root rot. Snip off the spent blooms to encourage further blooming and plant them in early spring or fall to prevent them from getting shocked by hot temperatures. 

Petunias: We love this fast-growing, trailing flower for container arrangements and hanging baskets because they spill down the edges perfectly, adding gorgeous texture and dimension. For a sweet and retro display reminiscent of peppermint candies, opt for red-and-white-striped petunias to use around your planter’s border. Choose fertilizer formulated especially for petunias to help them to grow their biggest and brightest. 

Canna Lilies: Brighten up your patio with these radiant lilies that bloom in late summer and fall. It’s not just the flowers that make a splash—the large, striped leaves can come in so many different gorgeous color combinations (even red!), for a double-impact of vibrant color that will undoubtedly impress the hummingbirds. They bloom quite vigorously from the hottest months of summer through the cooler winter months here in Texas. Plant the rhizomes in late spring, and place your container in a spot with full sun to partial shade.  

Impatiens: No shade garden should be without this easy-care flower, with that perfect mounded growing habit that makes it perfect for filling out gaps in container displays. They’re one of the most low-maintenance flowers around because they’re self-cleaning, which means you don’t need to pull off any of the dead flowers. They’re also super tolerant to pests and fungi, so as long as you water them regularly and add a little fertilizer in the spring, you’re sure to have an impressive floral display that will have the hummingbirds flying over in droves. 

Turn your yard and patio into a fenceless, free-range aviary by picking up some of these gorgeous hummingbird-friendly flowers for your container garden! We have curbside pickup and delivery options available, so feel free to call Plants for All Seasons if you’d like to make special arrangements.