Native Michigan Hummingbird Plants


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Many gardeners planting specifically to attract hummingbirds are tending more and more to go with native species, a practice that the Great Lakes HummerNet strongly encourages. This is a list of known and possible plants that hummingbirds visit, which are native to Michigan. In addition to the growth habit, flower color, and blooming time shown on this page, clicking on the plant name will take you to a page with a range map (based on Voss 1972, 1985, and 1996) and a photo of the flower (many have yet to be added). English names are based on Voss as well as Newcomb (1977). Species are arranged roughly by blooming time, then alphabetically by scientific name. 

For the purposes of this list, the blooming seasons are defined as Spring (April-May), Summer (June-July), Fall (August-October).

Several of the plants on this list are threatened or endangered, and none of these plants should be disturbed in any way as most are protected by law.. Many of the commoner species listed here can be obtained from responsible organizations who cultivate them. Some of these are:

Michigan Wildflower Farm
Wildtype
Michigan Native Plant Producers Association
Prairie Moon Nursery

Another useful website, giving some coverage to regional native plants,  is Hummingbird Gardening in the Upper Midwest.

 

 

 

Species

 

Growth habit

 

Color

Blooming Time

Spring Summer Fall
Yellow Corydalis (Corydalis flavula) herbaceous
Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis) herbaceous
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) herbaceous
American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis) shrubby
Swamp Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera oblongifolia) shrubby
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) herbaceous
Bog Rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla) shrubby
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) herbaceous
Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) herbaceous
Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia) shrubby
Bog Laurel (Kalmia polifolia) shrubby
Glaucous Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica) vine
Hairy Honeysuckle (Lonicera hirsuta) vine
Mountain Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera villosa) shrubby
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) herbaceous
Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis) herbaceous
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) herbaceous
Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) herbaceous
Pale Beardtongue (Penstemon pallidus) herbaceous
Fire Pink (Silene virginica) herbaceous
Pink Corydalis (Corydalis sempervirens) herbaceous
Canadian Milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) herbaceous
Cooper's Milkvetch (Astragalus neglectus) herbaceous
Downy False Foxglove (Aureolaria virginica) herbaceous
Marsh Bellflower (Campanula aparinoides) herbaceous
Golden Corydalis (Corydalis aurea) herbaceous
Tall Lungwort (Mertensia paniculata) herbaceous
Sleepy Catchfly (Silene antirrhina) herbaceous
Starry Campion (Silene stellata) herbaceous
Gerardia (Agalinus gattingeri) herbaceous
Purple Gerardia (Agalinus purpurea) herbaceous
Skinner's Gerardia (Agalinus skinneriana) herbaceous
Slender Gerardia (Agalinus tenuifolia) herbaceous
Smooth False Foxglove (Aureolaria flava) herbaceous
Fern-leaved False Foxglove (Aureolaria pedicularia) herbaceous
Tall Bellflower (Campanula americana) herbaceous
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) herbaceous
Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) herbaceous
Pale Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida) herbaceous
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) herbaceous
Great Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) herbaceous
Roundleaf Monkeyflower (Mimulus glabratus) herbaceous
Michigan Monkeyflower (Mimulus michiganensis) herbaceous
Allegheny Monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens) herbaceous
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) herbaceous
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) herbaceous
Horsemint (Monarda punctata) herbaceous
Swamp Lousewort (Pedicularis lanceolata) herbaceous
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana) herbaceous
Common Hedge-Nettle (Stachys tenuifolia) herbaceous
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) herbaceous
Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta) herbaceous
Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) herbaceous


Newcomb, L. 1977. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company. Boston, MA.

Voss, E.G. 1972. Michigan Flora, Part 1: Gymnosperms and Monocots. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 55 & University of Michigan Herbarium.

Voss, E.G. 1985. Michigan Flora, Part II: Dicots. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 59 & University of Michigan Herbarium.

Voss, E.G. 1996. Michigan Flora, Part III: Dicots concluded. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 61 7 University of Michigan Herbarium.