Add Color To A Summer Garden With A Drought-Resistant Flower Hummingbirds Love

For many flowers, warm, dry conditions are simply a no-go. They may survive for a while, but they often fail to thrive in the way you hope. When you're trying to start a pollinator garden, a lack of flowers may put a damper on your dreams of attracting a variety of colorful hummingbirds. Fortunately, you're not entirely out of luck for those less-than-favorable spots in your yard. Angelonia is a hit among hummingbirds, and it absolutely thrives in those warm and sunny areas.

Angelonia is a genus of flower often known as the summer snapdragon or angel flower. Although there are many species within this genus, one of the most common you'll see when shopping around for your garden is Angelonia angustifolia. Like other species within the genus, this is an eye-catching stake of hummingbird-friendly flowers that looks quite similar to snapdragons, which is where the common name originates. 

These colorful flowers start to bloom at the end of spring and continue throughout the early fall. Angelonias are overall low-maintenance plants that thrive despite harsh weather, including drought, heat, and even humidity. As a result, if you're looking to add color to your summer garden, all while attracting more hummingbirds to your yard, this plant easily accomplishes both.

Angelonia doesn't just survive those dry, hot areas in your yard: it thrives in it. As a result, you'll want to keep its preferred environment in mind when trying your hand at growing this plant. Angelonia is hardy in USDA growing zones 9 through 11. Because angelonia is a genus rather than one specific flower, however, some care requirements may vary. Species like Angelonia angustifolia may not handle overwintering indoors well, even when grown in a container garden. As a result, it's commonly grown as an annual when planted outside of those USDA zones.

If you want to see the most flowers possible growing in your garden, you'll want to choose a location for angelonias that gets ample sunlight. These show-stopping flowers bloom best when given full sun with at least six hours of light each day. When grown in less-optimal conditions, you may not experience as much flowering, which can make them less effective at luring hummingbirds into your yard.

Because angelonias are a drought-resistant flower, they can be easy to care for, as they hold up well to dry spells. However, that also means that they don't do well with sitting moisture or overwatering. Choose a soil medium that has good drainage to ensure that these flowers have access to the drier soil conditions they thrive in. When your goal is to attract hummingbirds, you want to ensure that you're providing the optimal care for your species for maximum blooming.