How to grow a hummingbird garden

Plant some shrubs. To get enough to eat, the birds need to visit 1,000 to 2,000 flowers every day, some of them two to three times a day, so 400 to 1,000 flowers are required to maintain one bird. While some annuals, such as nicotiana, petunia and annual salvias attract hummers, it will take considerable space and effort to grow enough of them to make much difference. (An exception among annuals is nasturtium, which blooms freely and self-sows so well that it will feed many hummingbirds without much help from a gardener.)

So to provide the most flowers for the longest period, it’s wise to include some shrubs with long bloom periods. Here are some good examples:

Sages (salvias). Among California natives, try S. clevelandii or S. spathacea, but hummers like most sages, including S. greggii, a native of Texas, and S. leucantha, a native of Mexico. These are small to large shrubs. Species listed here are drought tolerant.

Flowering maples (abutilon). All bloom in spring and summer, some bloom most of the year. Can take part shade. These are medium or large shrubs.

Fuchsia. South American natives that bloom all spring and summer (try newer mite-resistant varieties). Can take part shade. These are medium to large shrubs.

Sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurantiacus). California natives that bloom over a long spring and summer season. These are small shrubs. Drought tolerant.

Consider time of bloom

Try to have an unbroken seasonal progression of blooms. Not only will you enjoy them, but the hummingbirds will thank you. Anna’s hummingbird stays in the Bay Area year-round, so it’s especially important to have a source of food for these little birds throughout winter.

Flowering currants (Ribes). California native species bloom between October and March. Pink currants (Ribes sanguineum) bloom in February. These are medium to tall shrubs. Most are drought tolerant.

Aloe arborescens. This is a winter-blooming succulent from South Africa. It forms tall clumps but can be kept moderately small. Drought tolerant.

Manzanita (Arctostaphylos). California natives that bloom in February or as late as May. Taller ones are also favorite nesting sites. Grows as a ground cover or treelike shrubs. Drought tolerant.

California fuchsia (Zauscheria or, new name, Epilobium). This starts to bloom in late summer and may continue into December. Perennials or low shrubs. Drought tolerant.