Invite Hummingbirds To Your Garden By Planting This Gorgeous Flower

Welcoming hummingbirds isn't just about growing the biggest, reddest flowers. It's possible to diversify your garden with beautiful and unique blooms in lovely shades beyond red. There are flowers that attract hummingbirds that you might not expect, like the showy, orange-colored lion's ear (Leonotis leonurus). This exotic species, also known as lion's tail, is a flower with a special ability to bring hummers to your neck of the woods. 

This flower, native to southern Africa, is classified as a perennial shrub. In ideal conditions, it can reach about 6 feet high and as wide as 3 feet. Its tubular flowers, each with two lips, sit on tiered swirls along the stems. This specific flower shape and arrangement is one reason for this species name. But the fuzzy outside of the flowers also lends itself to the common name, lion's ear. One of the essential features for attracting hummingbirds to your garden is to keep a selection of nectar-rich, tube-shaped plants around. Hummingbirds and other pollinators will enjoy the nectar at the bottom of the deep, tube-shaped flowers that abound on a lion's ear shrub.

Hardy in zones 8 to 11, lion's ear is best used in areas with warmer climates as an evergreen shrub. However, outside of these zones it can work as a great annual option for a hummingbird garden. It thrives in well-drained areas, so be sure to avoid letting this drought-tolerant plant get wet feet. 

Although lion's ear is not native to the U.S., it is not an invasive species. However, be aware of where and how you plant it to limit unwanted spread. Classified as a vigorous plant, lion's ear easily grows in mass plantings to create full, lush areas of flowers for hummingbirds. It has a rapid growth rate, which means it can fill in a space quickly, but you can ensure it doesn't overgrow its designated area with regular pruning. 

If you're seeking more stunning orange flowers you should grow in your garden, or if you want to attract a variety of pollinators and beneficial critters, consider lion's ear. The bright orange color provides interest to your space, and it draws hummingbirds in. Hummingbirds also adore the nectar in the flowers that line the stems. These blooms even attracts helpful ladybugs. Flowering occurs in late summer or early fall, adding both a pop of color to your late season hummingbird garden and helping birds during fall migration. Over time, this species tends to naturalize in ideal conditions, self-seeding for easy reproduction.