Native Plants for Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are attracted to shrubs and plants that have bright tubular flowers. The following list of plants should help you get started, but experiment with your own selection of native plants as this list is not exhaustive. Other helpful books include: Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in British Columbia and Washington by Lyons and Merilees; Trees and Shrubs of British Columbia by Brayshaw; and Plants of Coastal British Columbia: Including Washington, Oregon, and Alaska by Pojar, MacKinnon and Alaback. Legend: Exposure: S= Full Sun, P= Partially sunny, Sh=Shady; Moisture: D=Dry, M= Moist, W=Wet.
Trees
Name
| Exposure | Moisture | Height (m) |
Colour
|
Bloom
|
Value
|
Black Hawthorn
|
S
|
M
|
10
|
White flowers
|
May
|
Fruit
|
Crataegus douglasii
|
|
|
|
Apple-like fruit
|
Summer
|
Nesting
|
Pacific Crab Apple
|
Sh
|
M, W
|
2-12
|
Pink/white flowers
|
April/May
|
Apples
|
Malus fusca
|
|
|
|
Yellow/red apples
|
July-Oct
|
|
Vine Maple
|
Sh
|
M
|
20
|
White flowers
|
May
|
Winged fruits/seeds
|
Acer circinatum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shrubs and Vines
Name
| Exposure | Moisture | Height (m) |
Colour
|
Bloom
|
Value
|
Black Twinberry
|
Sh
|
M, W
|
0.5-3
|
Yellow tubular flowers
|
April-May
|
Nectar
|
Lonicera involucrata
|
|
|
|
Black berries
|
July-August
|
|
Common Snowberry
|
S, P
|
D, M
|
0.5-2
|
Pink-white bell flowers
|
May-June
|
Nectar
|
Symphoricarpos albus
|
|
|
|
White berries
|
Winter
|
|
Evergreen Huckleberry
|
S, P
|
D, M
|
4
|
Deep pink flowers
|
April-July
|
Nectar
|
Vaccinium ovatum
|
|
|
|
Purple/black berries
|
Summer- Nov
|
Gummy Gooseberry
|
S, P
|
D, M
|
0.5-2
|
Red-fushia flowers
|
Spring
|
Nectar
|
Ribes lobbii
|
|
|
|
Sticky, hairy berries
|
|
|
Indian Plum
|
S, P
|
D, M
|
1.5-5
|
Green/white flowers
|
March
|
Nectar
|
Oemleria cerasiformis
|
|
|
|
Blue/black fruit
|
Summer
|
|
Mock Orange
|
S
|
D, M
|
3
|
White flowers
|
June
|
Nectar
|
Philadelphus lewisii var. gordonianus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nootka Rose
|
S
|
D, M
|
3
|
Pink flowers
|
May-June
|
Nectar
|
Rosa nutkana
|
|
|
|
Purple/red rosehips
|
Summer-Winter
|
Oceanspray
|
S
|
D, M
|
4
|
White-cream flowers
|
June-July
|
Nectar
|
Holodiscus discolor
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Red Elderberry
|
S, P
|
M, D
|
6
|
White-cream flowers
|
April-May
|
Nectar
|
Sa racemosa spp. puberus var. arborescens
|
|
|
|
Red berries
|
June-July
|
|
Red Flowering Currant
|
S, P
|
D
|
1-3
|
Red/pink flowers
|
April-May
|
Nectar
|
Ribes sanguineum
|
|
|
|
Blue/black berries
|
|
|
Salmonberry
|
S, P
|
M, W
|
4
|
Pink/red flowers
|
April-May
|
Nectar
|
Rubus spectabilis
|
|
|
|
Yellow-red berries
|
June-Aug
|
|
Thimbleberry
|
S
|
D, M
|
0.5-3
|
White flowers
|
May-June
|
Nectar
|
Rubus parviflorus
|
|
|
|
Red raspberryish fruit
|
July-Aug
|
|
Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
|
P, Sh
|
M
|
6
|
Trumpet orange/yellow flowers
|
May
|
Nectar
|
Lonicera ciliosa
|
|
|
|
Orange-red berries
|
Sept
|
|
Ground Cover
-
Name | Exposure | Moisture | Height (m) |
Colour
|
Bloom
|
Value
|
Kinnikinnick
|
S
|
D
|
0.2
|
Pink/white flowers
|
Summer
|
Nectar
|
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
|
|
|
|
Red berries
|
Aug-Winter
|
|
Twinflower
|
S, Sh
|
M, W
|
0.1
|
Pink trumpet flowers
|
June-July
|
Nectar
|
Linnaea borealis
|
|
|
|
Seeds catch on birds and mammals
|
|
|
Perennials
-
Name
| Exposure | Moisture | Height (m) | Colour |
Bloom
|
Value
|
Arctic Lupine
|
S, P
|
D, M, W
|
1.5
|
Purple flowers
|
Spring
|
Nectar
|
Lupinus arcticus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canada Goldenrod
|
S
|
D, M
|
1.5
|
Yellow flowers
|
July-Aug
|
Nectar
|
Solidago canadensis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cooley's Hedge-nettle
|
S, P
|
M
|
0.7-1.5
|
Deep red-purple flowers
|
June-July
|
Nectar
|
Stachys cooleyae
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fireweed
|
S
|
D, M
|
0.8-3
|
Rose-purple flowers
|
June-July
|
Nectar
|
Epilobium angustifolium
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Large-leaved Lupine
|
S, P
|
D, M, W
|
1.5
|
Purple flowers
|
Spring
|
Nectar
|
Lupinus polyphyllus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nodding Onion
|
S
|
D
|
0.5
|
White flowers
|
Spring
|
Nectar
|
Allium cernuum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific Bleeding Heart
|
Sh
|
M
|
0.1-0.4
|
Pink/purple flowers
|
May-June
|
Nectar
|
Dicentra formosa
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Red columbine
|
S, P
|
M
|
1
|
Yellow-red flowers
|
May-June
|
Nectar
|
Aquilegia formosa
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
White Fawn Lily
|
S, Sh
|
M
|
0.3
|
White flowers
|
April
|
Nectar
|
Erythronium oregonum
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yarrow
|
S, P
|
D
|
0.5-1
|
White-pink flowers
|
June-July
|
Nectar
|
Achillea millefolium
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sources: Naturescape BC- The Stewardship Series, 1995; Butterflies of the North Cascades, BC Wildlife Watch, 1998; IUE brochure: Native Plants and your Garden; Trees, Shrubs and Flowers to Know in British Columbia and Washington by Lyons and Merilees; Trees and Shrubs of British Columbia by Brayshaw; and Plants of Coastal British Columbia: Including Washington, Oregon, and Alaska by Pojar, MacKinnon and Alaback. |