Bees and butterflies are not our only important pollinators. Hummingbirds play an essential role in dispersing pollen as well. The ruby-throated hummingbird, the most commonly found hummingbird in the eastern United States, is attracted to orange or red tubular flowers.
Our Summer Bloom Report from Jeff Norcini, PhD will have you seeing red in the most beautiful way! Vibrant red native wildflowers brighten the landscape, and those with tubular flowers will attract hummingbirds (and butterflies, too).
Sweet pinxter azalea (Rhododendron canescens) has showy pinkish- to rose-colored flowers that bloom in spring. They attract a number of pollinators, including hummingbirds.
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) is an excellent plant for wildlife. Its showy, sweet-scented flowers bloom spring through summer, attracting hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Birds and small mammals consume the fruits.
Florida bellflower (Campanula floridana) is an herbaceous perennial wildflower endemic to Florida. It is found in moist meadows and along pond, marsh and stream margins and moist roadsides. Its delightful violet flowers bloom in spring and mainly attract bees and butterflies, although hummingbirds also have been known to visit them.
Tropical sage (Salvia coccinea) is a versatile perennial wildflower that no pollinator can resist, but it is particularly attractive to bees, large butterflies and hummingbirds.
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has striking blooms that attract a variety of butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds. Its seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.
Woodland pinkroot (Spigelia marilandica) blooms late spring through summer and sometimes into fall. Its flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds as well as other insects.
Glade lobelia (Lobelia glandulosa) is a charming perennial wildflower that attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. It is largely unnoticed in the wild until it flowers.
Azure blue sage (Salvia azurea) occurs naturally in flatwoods and sandhills. Its striking cerulean flowers bloom August through November, attracting a variety of bees, butterflies and even hummingbirds.
Also known as False mint, Sixangle foldwing (Dicliptera sexangularis) is a modest yet eye-catching wildflower found in coastal hammocks and strands, ruderal areas and mangrove swamps, and along salt marsh edges. It typically flowers spring through early fall, but may bloom year-round. Its bright red blooms are particularly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. The plant is a larval host for the Cuban crescent butterfly.
Virginia saltmarsh mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos) is a shrub-like wildflower with showy pink blooms. It occurs naturally in salt and freshwater marshes, swamps, sloughs, coastal swales and wet thickets throughout much of the state. It blooms spring through fall, peaking in summer and attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and ants.
