Hummingbirds do visit Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), a common garden perennial. These tiny, high-energy birds are attracted to the plant’s dangling, heart-shaped flowers, which are typically pink, red, or white. Bleeding Hearts are one of the earliest spring-blooming perennials, making them an important early-season food source for migrating Rufous and Ruby-throated hummingbirds. The birds seek out the nectar despite the flower’s complex shape.
Floral Features That Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are adapted to feed on flowers that provide a high caloric reward for their metabolic needs. The most efficient flowers possess a tubular corolla, perfectly shaped to accommodate their long bills and tongues. This shape allows the bird to hover and access nectar deep inside without providing a landing platform for insects.
These flowers often display colors in the red and orange spectrum, which hummingbirds can see clearly but many insects cannot. They tend to be scentless, as hummingbirds rely on sight rather than smell to locate food. The nectar is typically abundant and contains a high sugar concentration, usually between 20% and 25%, to fuel their rapid wing beats.
The Bleeding Heart flower, while not a perfect tube, features an elongated, tubular structure hidden beneath the outer petals. This concealed tube restricts nectar access for most insects, but remains accessible to a hummingbird’s bill. This arrangement allows the bird to collect a significant nectar reward while serving as the primary pollinator. The bright pink and red varieties capitalize on the hummingbird’s strong color preference, drawing them in during early spring migration.
Recommended Alternatives for Your Garden
Gardeners looking to guarantee a hummingbird presence should focus on plants with tubular, high-nectar characteristics. Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans), or Trumpet Vine, is a fast-growing native vine producing large, deep-throated orange or red flowers. Its prolific blooms and classic tubular shape make it a powerful magnet for hummingbirds throughout the summer.
The Salvia genus, particularly red-flowered varieties like Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea), offers a consistent nectar supply and a long blooming season. Similarly, Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) features clusters of ragged, tubular florets in shades of red and pink. These vibrant blossoms are structured for a hummingbird to insert its bill.
For a native option in partially shaded areas, the bright red, upright blooms of the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) are effective. Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), a non-invasive native vine, provides early spring nectar with clusters of coral-red, trumpet-shaped flowers. Choosing plants with staggered bloom times ensures a reliable food source for the birds from spring until fall.