Hanging baskets are a fantastic way to add some color and life to your outdoor spaces, and they’re also a big hit with hummingbirds. These little pollinators are drawn to flowers that are rich in nectar, making the right hanging basket a perfect setup to bring them to your porch or patio. Whether you’re sipping coffee in the morning or unwinding after a long day, having these tiny birds buzzing around is like a little slice of nature’s magic.
You can go the easy route and pick up a premade hanging basket from a local garden center, or you can build your own with flowers that hummingbirds love. Either way, hanging baskets are a great way to keep things neat and tidy while attracting these energetic visitors. Plus, they’re a space-saver if you don’t have room for a full garden but still want a lively outdoor area. Let’s explore some of the best flowers to include in your hanging baskets to create a hummingbird hotspot.
Hanging Basket Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds
Here’s a quick list of the flowers we’ll be discussing in this article. All great choices for a hanging basket that hummingbirds will love. We’ll discuss each flower more in-depth below including care tips.
- Salvia – Upright and compact varieties bring bold, vibrant flower spikes to your hanging basket, creating an eye-catching vertical element.
- Fuchsia – A hummingbird favorite with dangling, bell-shaped flowers.
- Calibrachoa – Often called “mini petunias,” these are ideal for hanging baskets due to their trailing habit and abundant blooms.
- Verbena – Great for adding both trailing growth and long-lasting color.
- Petunia – Classic and versatile, perfect for vibrant hanging displays.
- Cuphea (Vermillionaire) – Loved by hummingbirds, with tubular flowers and a tidy growth habit.
- Cardinal Flower – A bright, hummingbird-friendly choice for a bold pop of red.
- Phlox – Low-growing varieties can trail slightly, adding soft texture and color.
Designing Your Own Hanging Basket
Getting a basket pre-made and ready-to-go from your garden store is perfectly fine. But, if you really want to maximize your chances of drawing in as many hummingbirds as possible, consider putting together your own basket. That way, you can really choose each flower intentionally and make sure all the plants in the basket are attractive to hummingbirds rather than just one or two.
When designing a hanging basket, start with the right container. Plastic pots are great for holding moisture but can look plain, so use trailing plants, or “spillers,” to quickly cover the container. If you prefer a more natural look, try a wire basket with a coco liner. For better water retention, add a plastic liner inside the coco mat, leaving it about three-quarters of the way up the sides. Poke a few small holes in the plastic for slow drainage, and consider tucking in a layer of moss between the mat and the wire frame for an extra decorative touch.
For plant selection, a 12- to 14-inch basket typically needs three to five plants, while a larger 16- to 18-inch basket can handle five to seven. Use high-quality potting soil with slow-release fertilizer and water-retaining crystals, or mix in compost for added nourishment. Adding more plants creates a lush, full look but may require more frequent watering and occasional maintenance. With the right setup, you’ll have a vibrant basket that both you and the hummingbirds will love!
Now let’s talk in a bit more detail about eight flowers that hummingbirds love that work in hanging baskets.
1. Salvia
Salvia, also called sage, features tall flower spikes with tubular blooms in shades of red, purple, pink, and blue. The foliage is often aromatic, adding another sensory element to your garden. It thrives in full sun and prefers well-draining soil. Water when the soil feels dry but avoid overwatering. Deadheading spent blooms encourages continuous flowering. Overall the growth is upright, but certain compact or trailing varieties, like Salvia ‘Hot Lips,’ work well in hanging baskets. The tubular flowers are rich in nectar and perfectly shaped for hummingbirds to feed from, while their vibrant colors make them a visual beacon. Reds and bright purples work great!
2. Fuchsia
Fuchsia flowers have a unique, pendulous shape with vivid pinks, purples, and reds. They’re show-stopping and elegant, and are almost always available as a hanging basket at home & garden stores. Fuchsias prefer partial to full shade and need regular watering to keep their soil moist but not soggy. Avoid direct afternoon sun. Their flowers are cascading and dangle gracefully from the stems. Hummingbirds have no problem hovering below these blooms and reaching up into the flower.
3. Calibrachoa
These attractive blooms are sometimes nicknamed “million bells”, or “trailing petunia”. While not part of the petunia family, their shape is very petunia-like. Calibrachoa produces small, bell-shaped flowers in a variety of vibrant colors, often with a compact and tidy growth habit. They prefer full sun to partial shade and require well-draining soil. Allow the topsoil to dry slightly between waterings. They are trailing, spilling over the edges of baskets with dense blooms. The small, funnel-shaped flowers provide plenty of nectar and attract hummingbirds with their bright colors.
4. Verbena
Verbena features clusters of small, colorful flowers that bloom in shades of pink, purple, red, and white. It prefers full sun and well-draining soil. Water deeply but let the soil dry out slightly between waterings. Verbena can be sprawling or slightly trailing, depending on the variety. A few well placed stalks in the middle of a planter can be a nice centerpiece. The clusters of blooms are nectar-rich, providing a plentiful food source for hummingbirds. As a bonus, they are a favorite of butterflies as well!
5. Petunia
Petunias are a garden favorite, which means they are typically easy to find just about anywhere flowers are sold. They are known for their trumpet-shaped blooms in a wide range of colors, including bicolor varieties. Red, pink and orange varieties are a favorite for hummingbirds. Supertunias work here as well, and are a hybrid of petunias that produce abundant, large blooms in a range of colors. Petunias prefer full sun and well-draining soil. Water consistently but avoid waterlogging the roots. They can be trailing or mounding, depending on the variety. Check the blooming season when purchasing, some varieties have a fairly long bloom time that can keep the hummingbirds coming back from late spring all the way to fall.
6. Cuphea (Vermillionaire)
A plant of many nicknames, including ‘cigar plant’ and ‘firecracker plant’, cuphea is a well-known hummingbird magnet. Cuphea features small, tube-shaped orange and red flowers with a unique appearance resembling a cigar. They may not have big, showy blooms like fuchsia or petunias, but trust me hummingbirds go wild for these small, tubular flowers. Cuphea flowers are the perfect size a shape for a hummingbirds beak. It thrives in full sun and likes regular watering with well-drained soil. Avoid overly wet conditions. Cuphea allowed to grow will get bushy with some trailing tendencies.
7. Cardinal Flower
Lobelia species, in general, are great plants for pollinators. Hummingbirds will at least visit most of the varieties, but by far the best lobelia for attracting hummingbirds is Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal Flower. Not only does it have the bright red flowers that hummingbirds look for, but it produces more nectar than other lobelias.
Cardinal flowers are tall with bright red, tubular blooms that stand out dramatically against their green foliage. They do best in partial shade to full sun and prefer consistently moist soil. Cardinal flower produces upright stalks, with vertical spikes of flowers.
8. Phlox
Phlox features small, star-shaped flowers in dense clusters, often in shades of pink, white, and purple. It prefers full sun to partial shade and needs well-draining soil. Water regularly but don’t overwater. Blooms can be trailing or slightly mounding, depending on the variety. The clusters of brightly colored flowers provide easy access to nectar. Choose a brightly colored phlox over white or pale colored blooms if possible. Some varieties known to have the most nectar are Phlox Jeana, Phlox Lavelle, creeping phlox, Red Super, Starfire, and Drummond Phlox.
Melanie is an environmental scientist, birdwatcher, and amateur photographer. She’s been a birding hobbyist for years and loves feeding and learning about birds of all types. Over the years, Melanie has identified more than 250 bird species, with sightings of the Atlantic Puffin, Hawaiian Goose, and Arctic Tern among her most cherished.