From Mississippi State Unversity
Read the whole about Hummingbird life and how to encourage them article here
An Abstract:
By planting a garden with a long season of overlapping blooms, we can become hosts to these miniature birds that fly with the grace of a stealth fighter and the agility of a helicopter.
Artificial feeders are a good start, but we can choose plants that truly attract hummingbirds in the flower garden.
Luscious Lantanas, Rockin Salvias, and Unplugged Salvias are excellent choices. One of my favorites, the Vermillionaire Cuphea, is always for sale and often overlooked. Even in the shady flower gardens, we can create a haven for hummingbirds with Shadowland Hostas and Soprano Impatiens.
If you want the best of both worlds—hummingbirds and butterflies—then choose plants like Miss Molly or Miss Pearl butterfly bushes. The compact Pugster group is not to be ignored.
As is recommended in butterfly gardens, the same holds true for hummingbird gardens: NO PESTICIDES! The hummingbird is in danger of ingesting the pesticide, but many gardeners do not know that these little acrobats also feed on small insects and spiders. It is a bird-eat-bug world out there.
By Norman Winter
MSU Horticulturist
Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center