“Flash of harmless lightning, a mist of rainbow dyes. The burnished sunbeams brightening, from flower to flower he flies.” In this poem, American poet John Banister Tabb describes the beauty of a hummingbird flitting from one garden flower to another.
Not only are hummingbirds beautiful, but they are also important pollinators. Only the long, thin beaks of hummingbirds and the proboscis of certain butterflies and moths can reach the nectar in certain flowers with deep, narrow tubes.
As they sip this hard-to-reach nectar, they also collect pollen that they take with them to the next flower. Attracting hummingbirds to the garden ensures that narrow tubed flowers can be pollinated. Continue reading to learn how to attract hummingbirds in zone 9.
Growing Hummingbird Gardens in Zone 9
Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. However, this does not mean that they only visit red flowers or drink from feeders with red colored liquid. Actually, the red dyes in some store-bought hummingbird nectar can be harmful to hummingbirds.
You may be better off to make a homemade liquid for hummingbird feeders by dissolving ¼ cup (32 g.) of sugar in 1 cup (128 g.) of boiling water. Also, hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned regularly to prevent illnesses. When your garden is filled with plenty of nectar rich, hummingbird attractant plants, feeders are not even necessary.
Hummingbirds will come back, time and time again, to plants where they got a good meal. It is important to keep hummingbird gardens free of harmful chemical residues from pesticides and herbicides. Hummingbird gardens in zone 9 may be visited by several different native and migrating species of hummingbirds such as:
- Ruby-Throated hummingbirds
- Rufous hummingbirds
- Calliope hummingbirds
- Black-Chinned hummingbirds
- Buff-Bellied hummingbirds
- Broad-Tailed hummingbirds
- Broad-Billed hummingbirds
- Allen’s hummingbirds
- Anna’s hummingbirds
- Green-Breasted Mango hummingbirds
Hummingbird Plants for Zone 9
Hummingbirds will visit flowering trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and annuals. Below are some of the many zone 9 hummingbird plants to choose from:
- Agastache
- Alstroemeria
- Bee balm
- Begonia
- Bird of paradise
- Bottlebrush bush
- Butterfly bush
- Canna lily
- Cardinal flower
- Columbine
- Cosmos
- Crocosmia
- Delphinium
- Desert willow
- Four o’clocks
- Foxglove
- Fuchsia
- Geranium
- Gladiolus
- Hibiscus
- Hollyhock
- Honeysuckle vine
- Impatiens
- Indian hawthorn
- Indian paintbrush
- Joe pye weed
- Lantana
- Lavender
- Lily of the nile
- Morning glory
- Mimosa
- Nasturtium
- Nicotiana
- Peacock flower
- Penstemon
- Pentas
- Petunia
- Red hot poker
- Rose of Sharon
- Salvia
- Shrimp plant
- Snapdragon
- Spider lily
- Trumpet vine
- Yarrow
- Zinnia