The Hotter, the Better

Try these heat-tolerant picks that hummingbirds love

- BY PEGGY RICCIO

1 Coral honeysuckle

LONICERA SEMPERVIRENS, ZONES 4 TO 9

A native known for supporting pollinators, coral honeysuckle has tubular flowers that bloom in the spring and summer in a range of fiery colors. Although the plant can handle a little bit of shade, it will bloom more profusely when grown in full sun and rich, well-draining soil.

Why we love it:

A lightweight woody vine, honeysuckle can be trained to climb trellises or obelisks for height.

2 Lantana

LANTANA SPP., ZONES 8 TO 11

A summer blooming tropical, lantana is a northern annual and a southern perennial with clusters of bright flowers that pollinators love. They are excellent in containers, in full sun and well-draining soil. Lantana is invasive in some areas, so be sure to research before planting.

Why we love it:

This summer staple offers many options to choose from: compact sizes, trailing shapes and unusual color combos.

3 Red hot poker

KNIPHOFIA SPP., ZONES 5 TO 9

These summer blooming focal points grow up to 4 feet tall and require full sun and well-draining soil. Flower heads of compact tubular florets attract butterflies, birds, bees and hummingbirds. Some flower heads are monochromatic in sunset colors, while others can have orange/red florets on top and yellow on the bottom.

Why we love it:

Red hot pokers bloom above most plants, so they don't compete for space.

CONTAINER CLUSTERS Because they are heat and drought tolerant, many of these plants work well in containers that tend to dry out faster than plants in the ground. Consider grouping several containers together to increase your hummingbird visits.