The Electric Blue Flower That'll Bring Lovely Hummingbirds To Your Garden

Our garden isn't just a sanctuary for us to retreat to. It can also serve as a crucial touchstone for the local ecosystem, welcoming a host of pollinators. While bees might not be everyone's cup of tea, hummingbirds are typically a welcome visitor in any backyard. It can be a treat to watch these petite birds flitter around a feeder or rest on a tree branch. 

Those who hope to draw in more hummingbirds are in luck. There are plenty of ways to make your garden more appealing for these stunning creatures. To invite hummingbirds to feed or even nest in your yard, provide them with shelter, water, nectar, and flowers they love. If you're looking for a striking addition to your hummingbird-friendly garden, consider planting 'Electric Blue' foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus 'Electric Blue'), also known as 'Electric Blue' bunchleaf beardtongue.

This beautiful tubular flower is native to the Sierra Nevada region of California and is considered hardy in USDA zones 6 through 10. It can grow anywhere from 12 to 18 inches in height and spread, making it an excellent candidate for borders and containers. Once established, these plants tend to be quite drought-resistant. Their blue to violet, trumpet-shaped blooms are wonderful for hummingbirds, perfectly complementing their long beaks. Still, it's important to carefully curate all the elements of your garden to increase the odds that hummingbirds will find a sanctuary in your yard.

It's not hard to plant or care for these bright blue flowers that attract hummingbirds. In return, foothill penstemons offer striking beauty and a vital food source. They prefer well-drained soil and thrive in full sun. These flowers also take well to soil with high contents of sand and gravel. Penstemon seeds require light to properly germinate, so be sure to leave them slightly exposed at the top of the soil. Unlike with other penstemons that won't bloom for a year or two after planting from seed, you can expect to see flowers the same year you plant 'Electric Blue' penstemons by seed. You can also buy nursery plants to enjoy immediate blooms.

Penstemon flowers are some of the best for inviting hummingbirds to your yard. But there is a caveat when it comes to these 'Electric Blue' blooms: Hummingbirds are typically drawn to red. They will feed off of 'Electric Blue' penstemons once they realize their tubular blooms are overflowing with nectar, but they may need a little assistance in finding them. One way to help is to strategically place a feeder in the same area to serve as a metaphorical neon sign that says, "Yummy Hummingbird Food Here". You can also plant your penstemons in a bed with red and orange companion plants like Mimulus aurantiacus or Epilobium canum. Cultivating a garden with these pollinator favorites is a great way to get hummingbirds and butterflies flocking to your yard.