Hummingbirds’ fluttery flight-pattern, incredible ability to hover in front of food sources and overall cuteness always makes seeing them a happy occasion. There are several things you can do to encourage them to frequent your North or South Carolina garden including planting hummingbird-attracting flowers and placing hummingbird feeders.
North Carolina’s Hummingbirds
The hummingbird species living in North Carolina is the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird that, as you would assume, has a characteristic ruby throat. However, while males do have a red patch of feathers on their throats, these often appear black unless seen from the perfect angle. Both male and females have beautiful shiny green back feathers.
Migrating to Southern Florida and Central America during the winter, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds tend to stay in the Carolinas from mid March to mid October.
Flowers and Shrubs That Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds love tubular blossoms that provide them with sweet nectar. While they are drawn to anything of the color red, once they are in your garden, they will be happy with any of the tubular trumpet bloomers.
Popular flower and shrub species to attract hummingbirds in North Carolina are:
- Bee Balm
- Cardinal Flower
- Coral Bells
- Day Lilies
- Fire Pink
- Foxgloves
- Garden Phlox
- Gloxinia
- Hollyhocks
- Indian Pink
- Lupines
- Salvias
- Wild Columbine
Hummingbird Feeders
To supplement natural blooms, hummingbird feeders have also been very successful in attracting hummingbirds to Charlotte gardens. Blackhawk Hardware carries a large variety of beautiful hummingbird feeders and some of them truly double as yard art with their beautiful design.
Fill your hummingbird feeder with a boiled solution of 4 parts water and 1 part white sugar or a store-bought solution mix to provide the cute hummers with a high-caloric meal needed to sustain them. Replace the solution and wash your hummingbird feeder with hot water every 3-5 days to prevent mold and fermentation!
Top photo credit: Bill Thompson / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby-throated_hummingbird
https://ncsu.edu/goingnative/howto/design/wildneed/humbird.html
http://www.mastergardenersmecklenburg.org/attracting-hummingbirds-to-your-garden.html
