Plant These Two Flowers Together To Turn Your Yard Into A Hummingbird Hotspot

There are many flowers that attract hummingbirds to your yard, but finding the right combination of flowers that work together can create an irresistible garden combo for your favorite winged visitors. If you have a hot, sunny spot waiting to be turned into a hummingbird haven, consider pairing blanket flower (Gaillardia × grandiflora) with lantana (Lantana camara). These colorful blooms will give your garden a cheerful look while bringing hummingbirds flocking to your yard.

Blanket flower on its own is a magnet for many types of wildlife. Not only do ruby-throated hummingbirds flock to this flower, but so do endangered bees, and the rarely seen painted bunting songbird. Many other insects and even mammals are drawn to this plant. Simply adding this one flower will supercharge your wildlife garden, but combining it with lantana will entice even more hummers, as it's a favorite for these birds as well as butterflies. Both are easy to grow, colorful, and will certainly earn their keep in your garden, but there are a few things you should know first, especially about lantana.

Both blanket flowers and lantana thrive in full sun and have low to medium water needs. With little maintenance needed for either of these plants, you will have a hands-off hummingbird garden in no time. This plant combo is especially well-suited for container gardens, due to their growing habits and because lantana can sometimes raise concerns about invasiveness when planted in the ground of warmer zones of the U.S.

In its native habitat in Central and South America, lantana is a perennial shrub that can grow up to 6 feet tall. As it is only hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11, invasiveness isn't a concern in zones with colder winters. However, in warmer areas like Florida or Texas, it can become a problem and even hybridize with local, native species. If you live in one of these zones, learn how to enjoy lantana in your yard without it taking over.

Blanket flower, a short-lived perennial that is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 10, also has a tendency to naturalize in gardens. It's not known to become invasive, so this is only a problem if you would prefer to keep it from spreading. Planting it in a pot can help contain it. Whether you grow the long-blooming blanket flower from seed, or buy starter plants from the nursery, it will bring blooms to the garden from June through September. Together, these two plants will have lovely hummingbirds eager to check out your garden.