Nectar Perfection

These easy-to-grow annuals are filled with the sweet stuff hummingbirds and butterflies can’t resist. 

1 Salvia

SALVI

Also commonly known as firecracker plant, this annual variety of salvia pops in any sunny garden, producing season-long color. Depending on the cultivar, this annual reaches 8 inches to 2 feet, though newer varieties are on the compact side.

Why we love it: Tons of nectar-rich tubular blooms cover the short or long stalks. Flowers may be red, orange, white, blue, pink or purple.

2 Impatiens

IMPATIENS

Invite winged creatures into your shady spaces with impatiens, which come in a rainbow of hues. Once planted, they don’t need much care.

Even deadheading isn’t necessary! Avoid downy mildew with disease resistant SunPatiens and New Guinea impatiens.  

Why we love it: Reaching 6 inches to 2 feet high, it forms mounds, making it a good choice for borders and foundation beds, as well as containers.

3 Fuchsia

FUCHSIA

These showy, pendulous blooms in red, white, pink and purple will capture your heart. There are more than 100 kinds, from low-growing dwarfs and trailing plants to upright shrubs. Fertilize weekly for best results.

Why we love it: Fuchsia grows best in moist soil and partial shade, so it’s ideal for attracting hummingbirds to less-than-sunny yards.

4 Calibrachoa

CALIBRACHOA

Small petunia-like flowers steal the show all season, making fast-growing calibrachoa a hot choice for beds and containers—especially those that are geared toward hummingbirds and butterflies. Use it as a nicely textured filler plant or as a bold stand-alone. Plants reach about 8 inches tall and spread out.