What They Eat
The natural diet of hummers is flower nectar, tree sap, and small insects and spiders that are often captured in or near flowers. This natural diet can be supplemented by hummingbird feeders, which dispense a sugar water solution. Flowers blooming through the season, however, are needed when hummingbirds are present to attract them and to provide the natural foods required for a complete diet.
Planting for Hummingbirds
Flowers add beauty and a place where hummingbirds can find both flower nectar and insects to eat. Below are lists of recommended herbaceous plants that can provide a variety of flowers for hummingbirds when they are present in your rural or urban community. These landscape plants provide beauty as well as a natural foraging area where hummingbirds can find both flower nectar and small insects to eat. Select plants that provide flowers throughout the season, especially at times when you expect hummingbirds. Include red varieties of the plants listed because red tubular flowers appear to be especially attractive to hummingbirds. Some of the plants listed occur both as wildflowers and as cultivated varieties. Where these wildflowers are growing naturally, maintaining them can benefit hummingbirds. For planting, check with nurseries for availability of either wildflowers or cultivated varieties. Trees and shrubs form the framework of your landscape and these also can benefit hummingbirds.
Common flowering shrubs favored by hummingbirds include:
Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus and other species), Weigela (Weigela florida), and Rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). Other shrubs used include Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis), Currant (Ribes odoratum), and Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum).
Trees used by hummingbirds include:
Flowering Crab (Malus spp.), Hawthorne (Crataegus spp.), Horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), and Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).
In maintaining flowering plants, it's best to avoid insecticide use around the flowers, because hummingbirds depend on small insects as part of their diet.
Nectar Feeding Commercial "nectar" solutions for hummingbirds can be purchased or easily made by mixing one part granulated white sugar (common table variety) with four parts water.

For example, mix 1/4 cup sugar with one cup water. Boil the water, dissolve the sugar, then allow to cool before filling the feeder. Keep leftover portions refrigerated until needed. Change the mix every few days, more often in hot weather, and clean the feeder each time before refilling to prevent molds that can harm the birds. Feeders can be cleaned by either rinsing with hot water, filling with vinegar and uncooked rice and shaking vigorously, or soaking the feeder in a solution of two ounces household bleach mixed with one gallon of water. A stiff bottle brush may help but avoid soaps because residues may interfere with the capillary action of the feeder.

When selecting a hummingbird feeder, look for one that's easy to fill and clean and without too many nooks and crannies. Some red on the feeder is desirable because it seems to attract hummingbirds, and bee guards (grids or screens) over the feeding ports help discourage bees. Hang the feeder from a tree branch or on a deck or porch, preferably in partial shade, near flowers, and out of the wind. Consider using more than one feeder to prevent an aggressive male hummingbird from dominating and to add viewing opportunities. For example, place a feeder near your hummingbird flowers and another closer to your home or viewing windows.
Place feeders out in time for expected arrivals and continue until hummingbirds migrate on.

More Feeding Tips: Avoid honey mixtures for feeding because there is increased potential for spoilage and harmful molds. Also, avoid red food coloring; the red tip or plastic flower on the feeding spout is sufficient and there is some concern that the food coloring might be harmful. If your feeder doesn't have red, you can add a red plastic flower, red ribbon, red tape, or even red nail polish on the surface of feeding ports. To prevent ants from coming to the feeder, keep the outside clean and, if needed, coat the feeder hanger or the spout with salad oil or petroleum jelly. To deter bees, some feeders have bee guards, and another possible approach is to repel bees by rubbing Avon Skin-so-soft® or Off Skintastic® onto the feeder surface by the feeder ports. To help attract small insects eaten by hummingbirds, hang an overripe banana peal or cantaloupe near the feeder; a mesh produce sack makes a convenient holder.
Finally, to benefit hummingbirds, use all pesticides wisely and only when needed. And minimize insecticide use, especially around flowers, because hummingbirds depend on small insects as part of their diet.

Herbaceous plants that attract hummingbirds:
Rose-of-Sharon Hibiscus syriacus Full sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Late summer to early fall Perennial shrub that may die back to the ground each year.
American columbine Aquilegia hybrids Full sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Late spring early summer Short-lived herbaceous perennial. In full sun locations, protect from hot afternoon sun.
Bee balm (Oswego tea, or Scarlet bergamot) Monarda didyma Full sun Moist Summer Herbaceous perennial. Many cultivars - select powdery mildew resistant types. Remove faded flowers (dead head). Not drought tolerant.
Blazing stars Liatris spp. Full sun or light shade Moist; well-drained Midsummer to late fall Perennial. Several species and cultivars available.
Butterfly-bush Buddleia davidii Full sun Moist; well-drained; cool Early summer Behaves as a herbaceous perennial in our climate. Many cultivars.
Clematis Clematis × jackmanii and other species East exposure; sun Moist; well-drained; cool soil Early summer Perennial. Many cultivars - some natives; mulch soil to keep cool; avoid hot afternoon sun.
Coral bells Heuchera sanguinea Sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Late spring Herbaceous perennial; Needs high organic soils - avoid clay
Daylily Hemerocallis spp. and hybrids Sun to partial shade Moist to dry, well-drained Late spring to summer Herbaceous perennial. Many hybrids - use different hybrids and species to obtain season long bloom.
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea Semi-shade Moist; well-drained Spring Biennial; self-sows and maintains itself.
Garden phlox (Perennial phlox) Phlox paniculata Sun Moist; well-drained Summer Herbaceous perennial. Requires site with good air movement; avoid overhead watering, or water in early morning; many cultivars; mildew a serious problem.
Gladiolas Gladiolus spp. Sun Moist; well-drained Summer Perennial, but store corm indoors over winter; protect from wind Hardy fuchsia Fuchsia riccartoni Sun in morning; shade in afternoon Moist; well-drained Summer, fall Not hardy in Nebraska; grow in a container and bring indoors in winter.
Hollyhock Alcea Rosea (Althaea rosa) Sun Moist; well-drained Summer, fall Biennial. Self-sows; maintains single flower type Honeysuckle Trumpet Lonicera sempervirens and hybrids such as Brown's honeysuckle. Sun to shade Moist; well-drained Spring; sparsely thereafter Perennial vine.
Hosta Hosta spp. Semi-shade Moist; well-drained Early summer to late summer Herbaceous perennial.
Moss pink Phlox subulata Full sun Moist; well-drained Early spring Herbaceous perennial.
Nasturtium Tropaeolum spp. Sun; avoid hot sites Dry, low N soils Summer, fall Annual. Penstemon Penstemon gloxinoides and other species Sun Dry; well-drained Spring to summer Herbaceous perennial.
Petunia Petunia × hybrida Full sun Well-drained Summer to frost Annual.
Salvia or sage (red and others) Salvia splendens and others Sun to light shade Moist; well-drained Spring to frost Annual to herbaceous perennial. Tolerates some moisture stress, but with reduced flowering.
Flowering tobacco Nicotiana alata Full sun to partial shade Moist; well-drained Summer, fall Annual.
Scarlet runner pole bean Phaseolus coccineus Sun Well-drained Summer Annual vine.
Scarlet trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Sun Well-drained Summer Annual vine.
Wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Shade Moist; well-drained Spring Herbaceous perennial.
Zinnias Zinnia elegans Full sun Well-drained Summer, fall Annual.