Article

The Power of Blue: Three Blue Flowered Plants Alluring to Hummingbirds

Blue is a color that attracts nectar-loving hummingbirds to flowers.

Red is not the only color to garner the attention of nectar-loving hummingbirds. Blue flowers also draw hummingbirds. Three blue-flowered plants that hummingbirds enjoy include two perennials and one shrub: • blue columbine (Aquilegia caerulea), • 'Blue Bird' rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird'), and • garden catmint (Nepetia x faassenii).

Blue columbine's floral display of blueness

Mason, Hillsborough County, south central New Hampshire — Rob Duval, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Blue columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)

New World native perennial Aquilegia caerulea is known commonly as blue columbine or Colorado blue columbine.

Adopted as the official state flower of Colorado on April 4, 1899, Aquilegia caerulea is native to the western United States:

the eight states of the West Geographic Region's Mountain State Division: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming;
one state in the Midwest Region's West North Central Division: South Dakota.

Blue columbine accepts sites of full or partial sunniness.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies blue columbine as hardy to:

Zone 3 (minimum winter temperatures: -40° to -30° Fahrenheit; -40° to -34° Celsius) through
Zone 9 (20° to 30° F.; -7° to -1° C.).

Blue columbine attains a maximum height of 8 to 24 inches (20 - 60 centimeters) and a maximum spread of 8 to 16 inches (20 - 40 centimeters).

Floral coloration comprises pale blue, pink, white, and pale yellow. Oftentimes blue columbine evinces bi-coloration, with petals and sepals presenting different colors.

Aquilegia caerulea was honored with The Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Male Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus): New World native with an appreciation for blue columbine

Wyoming; Aug. 2, 2011 — Kati Fleming, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Broad-tailed hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus) number among blue columbine's satisfied hummers.

As New World natives, Broad-tails have a large range that echoes, in its northern parameters, blue columbine's homelands in seven of the Mountain States: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

Broad-tails also occur natively in east central California, southeastern Oregon, and west central Texas.

The southern range extends through Mexico southward into Guatemala.

Approximate distribution map of Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Selasphorus platycercus map — Cephas, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

floral blueness in Hibiscus syriacus cultivar: 'Blue Bird' ('Oiseau Bleu')

vase-shaped flowers of Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird' ('Oiseau Bleu') — Andre Abrahami (Abrahami), CC BY SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Hibiscus syriacus is known commonly as blue hibiscus. In the United States, its popular common name is Rose of Sharon. In the United Kingdom, Hibiscus syriacus is known also as rose mallow, in recognition of its membership in the mallow family, Malvaceae.

An Old World native with homelands in eastern Asia, Hibiscus syriacus has been introduced outside its native range as an ornamental and as hedging.

Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea, where it is known as mugunghwa (mugung, "eternity, inexhaustible abundance").
In the United States, rose of Sharon is deemed to be an invasive in four states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

As a deciduous shrub, Hibiscus syriacus enjoys full sun and frost hardiness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies rose of Sharon as hardy for Zone 5 (-20° to -10° F.; -29° to -23° C.) through Zone 9 (20° to 30° F.; -7° to -1° C.).

Rose of Sharon's height maximizes at 8 to 20 feet (2.4 - 6 meters). The multi-stemmed, densely branched shrub spreads to a maximum of 6 to 10 feet (1.8 - 3 meters).

Ovate (Latin: ovum "egg") green leaves contrast with showy, 5-petaled flowers in a color spectrum from white to bluish lavender or reddish purple.

'Blue Bird' ('Oiseau Bleu'), a particularly striking cultivar, especially attracts hummingbirds by way ot its gentian blue flowers with lilac-purple centers.

In addition to bestowing its prestigious Award of Garden Merit upon Hibiscus syriacus 'Oiseau Bleu' (also known as H. syriacus 'Blue Bird') in 1993, the Royal Horticultural Society also has recognized nine other cultivars of Hibiscus syriacus:

[Blue Chiffon] = 'Notwood3' in 2012,
'Diana' in 2003,
'Hamabo' in 1993,
[Lavender Chiffon] = 'Notwoodone' in 2003,
'Meehanii' in 2002,
'Red Heart' in 1993,
[White Chiffon] - 'Notwoodtwo' in 2002,
'William R. Smith' in 2002, and
'Woodbridge' in 1993.

Blue-Throat Hummingbird (Lampornis clemenciae): Mexican native with a partiality to 'Blue Bird' rose of Sharon

male blue-throated hummingbird — Commonnighthawk, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Blue-throated hummingbirds (Lampornis clemenciae), also known as Blue-throated Mountaingem or Blue-throated Mountain-gem, are New World natives with homelands in Mexico's mountain woodlands.

Breeding populations are found in Mexico's northern states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora. They also cross the border into:

southeastern Arizona and central Arizona's lacings of canyons between Flagstaff and Winslow,
southeastern (especially rugged Brokeoff Mountains) and southwestern New Mexico,
West Texas' Green Valley Basin in western Brewster County, and Sacramento Mountains in Culbertson and Hudspeth Counties.

Distribution map of Blue-throated Mountaingem

Lampornis clemenciae map — Cephas, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Garden catmint's blue floral palette

Nepeta faassenii 'Six Hills Giant' — Rob Hille, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nepeta x faassenii is known commonly as garden catmint or Faassen's catnip. A product of a Dutch nursery, J.H. Faassen-Hekkens Boomkwekerijen B.V., in Reuver, southeastern Netherlands, the vivacious perennial is a sterile hybrid of:

Nepeta nepetella, known commonly as lesser cat-mint, an Old World low-grower native to southwestern Europe and North Africa, and
Nepeta racemosa, known commonly as dwarf catmint, an Old World native with homelands in the Caucasus in Turkey and northeastern Iran.

Nepeta x faassenii flourishes in full or partial sun. The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies garden catmint as hardy for Zone 3 (-40° to -30° F.; -40° to -34° C.) through Zone 10 (30° to 40° F.; -1° to 4° C.).

The fragrant sprawler stretches to a maximum height of 24 inches (60 centimeters) and spreads to a width of 24 inches (60 centimeters).

Lance- to oval-shaped, toothed leaves provide a grey-green to silvery grey backdrop for floral spikes resplendent in lavender to purple-blue.

Cultivars 'Blue Wonder,' 'Select Blue,' and 'Six Hills Giant' bedazzle with their blue flowers.

In 2002, the Royal Horticultural Society honored Nepeta x faassenii, along with its parent, Nepeta racemosa, with its prestigious Award of Garden Merit.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris): under the blue spell of Garden catmint's nectar

male Archilochus colubris in flight — jeffreyw, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

New World native Archilochus colubris is known commonly as ruby-throated hummingbird.

Ruby-throats are native to:

southern Canada, from the west central prairie province of Saskatchewan eastward to the east coast, and
right half of the United States, from the east coast westward to the eastern edges of the Great Plains.

As snowbirds, ruby-throats favor southern Florida, southern Mexico, and all seven of Central America's countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and western Panama.

Approximate range/distribution map of Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris map — Ken Thomas, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Abuzz with bees: hummingbirds encounter great competition from bees and butterflies for Garden catmint's floral splendors.

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a Nepeta × faassenii — Emőke Dénes, CC BY SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Conclusion: Trueness of blueness

Nature glories in blue, especially in the limitless bountifulness of seas and skies. Likewise, blue signifies bountiful nectar sources for hummingbirds.

Three plants -- two perennials and one shrub -- confirm for hummingbirds the trueness of blueness:

blue columbine (Aquilegia caerulea),
'Blue Bird' rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird'), and
garden catmint (Nepetia x faassenii).

Hummingbird lovers appreciate these three floral beauties for their flexibility in site criteria. All three thrive not only in backyard allotments but also in container gardens. One of the many attractions of container gardening is immediacy, whereby pots may be located in advantageous proximity for hummer lovers.

Blue flowers usher in the win-win scenario of hummer lovers' enjoyment of hummingbird visitors' enjoyment of real nectar.

Blue columbine's memorable coloration

blue columbine's five blue sepals — Blumenfee57, CC BY SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image Credits

blue columbine
Mason, Hillsborough County, south central New Hampshire: Rob Duval, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heavycolumbinebloom.jpg

Male Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
Wyoming; Aug. 2, 2011: Kati Fleming, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Broad-tailed_Hummingbird_Selasphorus_platycercus;_male_perched_on_branch.jpg

Selasphorus platycercus map: Cephas, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitxategi:Selasphorus_platycercus_map.svg

vase-shaped flowers of Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird' ('Oiseau Bleu'): Andre Abrahami (Abrahami), CC BY SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hibiscus_syriacus_Blue_bird.jpg

male blue-throated hummingbird: Commonnighthawk, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lampornis_clemenciae_(male).jpg

Lampornis clemenciae map: Cephas, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitxategi:Lampornis_clemenciae_map.svg

Nepeta faassenii 'Six Hills Giant': Rob Hille, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nepeta_faassenii_six_hills_giant_0.3_R.jpg

male Archilochus colubris in flight: jeffreyw, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Archilochus_colubris_-_by_jeffreyw_-_004.jpg

Archilochus colubris map: Ken Thomas, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ruby-throated_Hummingbird-rangemap.gif

Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on a Nepeta × faassenii: Emőke Dénes, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bombus_terrestris_L56.jpg

blue columbine's five blue sepals: colorful perennial: Blumenfee57, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blaue_Akelei.JPG

ginger cat enjoying Nepeta x faassenii hybrid's aromatic foliage: T, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat_sleeping_in_catmint-16July2007.jpg; "T"eresa, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/teresa-stanton/946281602/

Arapaho Pass Trail, Boulder County, north central Colorado: Ejohnsonboulder, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aquilegia_caerulea.jpg

Nepeta x faassenii, known as catmint or Faassen's catnip, is as irresistible for hummingbirds, bumblebees and honeybees as it is for cats.

ginger tabby enjoying Nepeta x faassenii hybrid's aromatic foliage — T, CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en), via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Dagnan, Don C. "Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus L." Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry > Forest Health Protection - Invasive Plants > Weed of the Week. July 3, 2006. USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. Web. www.na.fs.fed.us

Available at: www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/rose-of-sharon.pdf

Flora: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia. Volume I: A-K. Portland OR: Timber Press, 2003.

Flora: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia. Volume II: L-Z. Portland OR: Timber Press, 2004.

"Hibiscus syriacus 'Oiseau Bleu.' The Royal Horticultural Society > Plants. The Royal Horticultural Society. Web. rhs.org.uk

Available at: http://rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=959

Kirkpatrick, J. "Regional Planting Guide to Attract Hummingbirds." Garden Artisans > Articles. GardenArtisans.com. Web. www.gardenartisans.us

Available at: http://www.gardenartisans.us/articles/Regional%20Plant%20Guide%20for%20Hummingbirds.html

McKinley, Michael. Ortho's All About Attracting Birds. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books, 2001.

"Nepetia x faassenii Garden catmint." The Royal Horticultural Society > Plants. The Royal Horticultural Society. Web. rhs.org.uk

Available at: http://rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=1326

Newfield, Nancy L., and Barbara Nielsen. Hummingbird Gardens: Attracting Nature's Jewels to Your Backyard. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996.

Ortho's All About Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books, 2001.

Roth, Sally. Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard. Rodale Organic Gardening Book. Emmaus PA: Rodale, 2001.

"Taxon: Aquilegia coerulea E. James." USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program > Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Web. www.ars-grin.gov

Available at: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl

Blue columbine's dainty blueness stops humans and hummingbirds alike

Arapaho Pass Trail, Boulder County, north central Colorado — Greg Tally ([WT-shared] WineCountryInn at wts.wikivoyage-old.org), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

the end which is also the beginning — OpenClips, Public Domain, via Pixabay

A companion piece to the popular "Advice from a Tree" t-shirt and book, Advice From A Hummingbird will delight any bird lover or self-help enthusiast. ~ Available via Amazon

hummingbird-themed t-shirt

IMAGE® Windlights Solar Powered Hummingbird Wind Chimes LED Light Color Changing Glass for Garden Lighting ~ Available via Amazon

hummingbird-themed wind chimes

Flora: A Gardener's Encyclopedia ~ Available via Amazon

Flora: A Gardener's Encyclopedia 2 volume set , vol 1 A-K vol 2 L-Z

Ortho's All About Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies ~ Available via Amazon

Ortho's All About Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies (Ortho's All About Gardening)

Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing by Sally Roth ~ Available via Amazon

Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies to Your Backyard : Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beau...

National Wildlife Federation® Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife ~ expanded second edition ~ Amazon's #1 Best Seller in Insect & Spider Field Guides

National Wildlife Federation(R): Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife, Expa...

Me and my purrfectly purrfect Maine coon kittycat, Augusta "Gusty" Sunshine

Updated April 21, 2026

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerOct 3, 2022

Thank you for stopping by, WriterArtist!

My sister has traveled extensively throughout India. She included blooming jacaranda trees among her fauna and flora pictures. So I know how beautiful lavender/purple jacaranda tree flowers are!

WriterArtistOct 1, 2022

Blue flowers are not as prolific as other colours like white, yellow and red in nature. In wilderness, I have seen mostly white and yellow. In India, Jacaranda produces purple/lavender blooms profusely which look beautiful on trees. Your choice of blue flower photos are lovely. Blue flowers are rare but they do occur in nature. Not to mention, they look amazing.

DerdriuMarrinerMar 3, 2017

katiem2, Thank you for liking my blue selection! One of my favorite gardens is the courtyard to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, particularly during their blue-themed months for spring and summer.

katiem2Mar 2, 2017

I love both blue and hummingbirds so this is a gold mine for me. thanks for the headsup on three blue flowers I will be planting this spring, very soon.

DerdriuMarrinerMay 5, 2015

Mira, Yes, 'Oiseau Bleu' ('Blue Bird') is a cultivar of Hibiscus syriacus. Apparently the scientific name didn't save when I published this article. Thank you for your sharp eyes and relevant questions: I've re-inserted the details into the title of the capsule; hopefully they will save.
I hope that you are successful in locating blue columbine: it's a wonderful flower.
My wild columbines are blooming now. Their jeweled coloring of red and yellow is simply beautiful.

MiraApr 29, 2015

I came back to this article to look at the flowers. The blue columbine is wonderful. I will try to see if I can find it in flower shops but I doubt it. When you wrote "blue bird" by that image of hibiscus flowers, you meant to say the flower is also known as a "blue bird"??

DerdriuMarrinerJul 30, 2014

Maritravel, Hummingbirds are such happy visitors to gardens that it's amazing that they aren't global. Although bees and butterflies are beautiful, the effect is not the same as hummingbirds with their fast hovering skills.
Providing gardens to attract these nectar-lovers is an important contribution to their continued success on this planet.

MaritravelJul 27, 2014

Just worked my way through your 'colours' articles and have learned a lot about their attractiveness to birdlife. Unfortunately, we don't have hummingbirds in the UK: my main task this summer has been to plant enough blue, mauve and purple plants to attract bees and butterflies, both of which we are losing at a dreadful rate due to pesticides and herbicides. Not many bees yet but I'm encouraged by the number of butterflies.

DerdriuMarrinerJun 25, 2014

VioletteRose, Blue columbines are so photogenic, so it's lovely that you were able to take a photo of 2 blue columbines.
Yes, it is good that blue flowers can attract hummingbirds. Red flowers can be quite stunning, but they don't hold the monopoly on beauty, so it's nice to know that hummingbirds find satisfaction in colors other than red.

VioletteRoseJun 24, 2014

I love the blue columbine flowers, they are so lovely. I have seen them only one or two times, but I have got a nice photograph of two blue columbine flowers. I didn't know about the other two flowers, they all look beautiful. Good to know that these can attract the beautiful humming birds :)

DerdriuMarrinerJun 11, 2014

Mira, The wind-sown plants, including trees, which have appeared as if by magic in my yard are beautiful gifts from nature, and I cherish that their windy journeys touched down in my yard.
Hummingbirds are such delights to watch.
Please let me know if Bucharest's Botanical Gardens include columbines or catmint. I hope that they are there, for they have such lovely flowers and draw in bees and butterflies as well as hummingbirds.

MiraJun 11, 2014

I am happy you got columbines in your yard! It must be amazing to discover new flowers in your yard :-). I hope you will soon get to see hummingbirds there as well.

In the meantime, I'll try to make it to the Botanical Gardens here in Bucharest and see if they have columbines or catmint :-)

DerdriuMarrinerJun 11, 2014

Dustytoes, Me, too, I also love columbines. I do favor the blues, and even having one, as you have, is such a beautiful treat.
From out of nowhere, some red columbines showed up in my yard this spring. It is such a gift to behold their delicate, distinctive flowers.
I decided to write this series because so often I'm hearing and reading that those who would like to be visited by hummers think that they have to promote redness. As you've observed, hummingbirds are not monochromatic in their nectar searches. Definitely other colors promise irresistible nectar as well.

DerdriuMarrinerJun 11, 2014

Mira, Me, too, I agree that all shades of blue are "just wonderful."
It's tempting to cover as many blue-flowered plants as possible because they each have their own distinctive beauty. But narrowing down to three with especially widespread appeal and with all as winners of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit seemed the best presentation, so I'm happy to hear that the narrowed focus succeeded in spotlighting these three beauties.
I specifically chose Nepeta x faassenii (garden catmint) because:
• it was hybridized in Europe (in the Netherlands), and
• it was recognized with an Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2002.
I hope that some day you will come across blue columbines and blue garden catmint. They are truly gorgeous and restful in their blueness.

dustytoesJun 11, 2014

I love columbine plants. I have a blue one and if I had more space I'd have a garden full of them. I do see hummingbirds at flowers that are not red, which is nice.

MiraJun 11, 2014

These flowers are so beautiful, and all shades of blue are just wonderful, in my view. Nice article :-) I enjoyed your choice of focus, because it yielded access to these three flowers. We have blue hibiscus here as well. I don't think I've ever seen catmint though, and I'm sure I never saw columbines. I may have seen them online though because I recognize them.

Blue columbine (Aquilegia caerulea)

New World native perennial Aquilegia caerulea is known commonly as blue columbine or Colorado blue columbine.

Adopted as the official state flower of Colorado on April 4, 1899, Aquilegia caerulea is native to the western United States:

the eight states of the West Geographic Region's Mountain State Division: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming;
one state in the Midwest Region's West North Central Division: South Dakota.

Blue columbine accepts sites of full or partial sunniness.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies blue columbine as hardy to:

Zone 3 (minimum winter temperatures: -40° to -30° Fahrenheit; -40° to -34° Celsius) through
Zone 9 (20° to 30° F.; -7° to -1° C.).

Blue columbine attains a maximum height of 8 to 24 inches (20 - 60 centimeters) and a maximum spread of 8 to 16 inches (20 - 40 centimeters).

Floral coloration comprises pale blue, pink, white, and pale yellow. Oftentimes blue columbine evinces bi-coloration, with petals and sepals presenting different colors.

Aquilegia caerulea was honored with The Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Conclusion: Trueness of blueness

Nature glories in blue, especially in the limitless bountifulness of seas and skies. Likewise, blue signifies bountiful nectar sources for hummingbirds.

Three plants -- two perennials and one shrub -- confirm for hummingbirds the trueness of blueness:

blue columbine (Aquilegia caerulea),
'Blue Bird' rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird'), and
garden catmint (Nepetia x faassenii).