Snipped from a short article on hummingbirds…
…moths are often mistaken for hummingbirds, or hummingbirds mistaken for insects. A Taino Native American legend held that hummingbirds were originally flies, but the Sun Father transformed them into birds. This Caribbean tribe considered the hummingbird the spreader of life on the planet, owing to the hummingbirds’ role as pollinators as they drink from one flower, inadvertently collect and deliver pollen as they poke their bills into blossoms to feed.
To bring more hummingbirds to your garden, consider the following flower facts: Hummingbirds eat insects, but also feed on flower nectar. In seeking nectar, hummingbirds don’t rely on their sense of smell, but instead, their vision. When their immovable eyes spot the color red, they make a bee line. As any hiker who has worn a red bandana or hat knows, hummingbirds investigate anything red . That’s why hummingbird feeders are usually made of red plastic and some hummingbird nectar is dyed red.
Even hanging red ribbons front trees and shrubs or running a mister can also lure hummingbirds. Naturally, red flowers attract hummingbirds. According to Sunset Western Gardens, the following plants can bring hummingbirds to your landscape:
Alcea rosea (hollyhock)
Aquilegia (columbine)
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
Clarkia (annual)
Cleome hasslerana (spider flower/annual)
Digitalis (foxglove)
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower)
Monarda (bee balm)
Veronica (speedwell)
Zinnia (annual)
Buddleia (butterfly bush)
More information here.
