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How can I encourage the hummingbirds without a lot of ants?

 
pollinator
Posts: 270
Location: Haiti
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I was woke up this morning by the sound of a hummingbird droning outside my window. They seem to be increasing their population here (as well as other birds). I'd like to encounter more of them, cause they're so pretty! But we have tons of ants here, and so sugar water isn't a great option. What can I planted that's suitable for tropical, dry, windy, hot climate? Preferably perennial. Even better if people (or at least bunnies and chickens) can eat it too!
 
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Location: Victoria British Columbia-Canada
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Some cacti are humming bird food. Many trumpet shaped flowers are made for them.
 
pollinator
Posts: 11853
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
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They especially like red flowers.
 
Posts: 8885
Location: Ozarks zone 7 alluvial, clay/loam with few rocks 50" yearly rain
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Our hummingbirds love our dahlias...red ones first but they visit the yellow ones also.  I grow the singles rather than doubles and ruffly ones where they can't get at the nectar as easily.  https://permies.com/t/92625/growing-dahlias-eat

Dahlias are perennials and can stay in the ground year round or until you would like to divide them as long as it doesn't freeze.

I have to lift them for the winter as it gets too cold here.

The tubers of many of them are edible for humans and so are the petals...I'm sure bunnies and chickens and goats and pigs would love them enough that they would need protection.

I grow them in pots but if it was warmer here I would grow huge areas of them as I think they are lovely and so multi purpose.

Our hummingbirds also love the hyacinth bean flowers and passion flower vine...and earlier in the year the red bee balm is their favorite.  I love having them but really don't want to mess with sugar water and cleaning a feeder...there are so many flowers that they like....and cosmos!  I see them hitting every flower of the orange ones.....they are an easy summer flower that just keeps on blooming even in a drought.
 
steward
Posts: 16058
Location: USDA Zone 8a
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The Turk's Cap is our hummingbirds favorite.  I live where we get very little rain during the summer and it is hot!  We have not watered the Turk's Cap at all this summer.  In fact I have only watered the roses and walking onions.

 
pollinator
Posts: 1518
Location: Southern Oregon
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Hummingbirds like a lot of the salvias, as others have said, they like trumpet shaped flowers. Pineapple sage was always a favorite of mine, because it bloomed in the winter, when food was scarcer for them.
 
Rusticator
Posts: 8567
Location: Missouri Ozarks
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Our hummers LOVE my rose of Sharon, and the peach tree.  
 
How do they get the deer to cross at the signs? Or to read this tiny ad?
2024 Permaculture Adventure Bundle
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