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The Flowering Plant That Attracts Hummingbirds To Your Yard
By ANDREA MARVIN
The beautiful and bold bottlebrush plant is a nectar plant that hummingbirds love to flock to, partly because of its bright-red flower spikes that look like bottle-scrubbers.
These birds can smell the fragrant aroma of the flowers from far distances, and the red flowers appeal to them because the color is a visual sign that food is nearby.
Bottlebrush plants bloom for a significant part of the year from spring to summer, and sometimes all the way to fall. They can be found in coastal regions as well as in the South.
These plants need full sun and can be grown as both a tree or a shrub. They’re also a great and consistent food source for hummingbirds when other nectar plants are not in bloom.
While the bright-red bushy long stamens provide both nectar and pollen for hummingbirds to enjoy, the plant also attracts an abundance of tiny insects for them to feed on.
Insects provide protein that benefits their muscle and feather development. Although they eat bugs when sources of nectar have dried up, this plant gives them both feeding options.
This plant’s dense foliage even provides ideal shelter for hummingbirds to escape harsh weather and can help keep them safe from threats such as snakes and backyard cats.