The Hummingbird Magnet Flower That'll Add A Pop Of Color To Your Garden

Imagine stepping out into your yard in the morning and watching as hummingbirds whirl around your garden, showcasing their jewel-like feathers as they dart from flower to flower. Hummingbirds are interesting little birds that bring life and color to your garden. Not only that, but as pollinators, they can help your plants thrive, letting you soak in the success of your garden all season long. As a result, many people seek to attract more hummingbirds to their yard, and choosing stunning plants and the right flowers is a great place to start.

But before you start sowing seeds, did you know that hummingbirds have favorite types of flowers? That's right: Hummingbirds prefer tubular, brightly colored flowers (especially red). As a result, picking plants like the Chilean glory flower (Eccremocarpus scaber) can be a great way to provide hummingbirds with a tasty nectar snack and encourage them to visit your yard.

The Chilean glory flower is a perennial climbing vine native to Chile. They offer tall stalks sporting vibrant tubular flowers, ranging in color from golden yellow to red to pink, depending on the cultivar. Even better, they flower all summer long. Although adding this eye-catching flower to your yard can be a great way to draw hummingbirds near, it's important to make sure it's a safe pick for your yard: In some countries and regions, this plant may be considered invasive.

Once you're sure that Chilean glory flowers are a safe pick for your future hummingbird haven, you'll likely want to learn how to grow these colorful blooms in your own yard. Thankfully, they are overall easy to grow, making them a perfect fuss-free plant for beginners. While they need warmer areas — growing best in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10 — their day-to-day care is minimal.

Chilean glory flowers need regular hydration, but they prefer to have their soil fully dry out after each watering. While underwatering can be intimidating, overwatering is a common mistake that beginning gardeners make, and it can do more harm than good. Sunlight is essential for these flowers to thrive. They need about six hours of bright, direct light each day.

If you're in an area where it's safe to do so, you can plant Chilean glory flowers directly in your garden following the last frost, or start them indoors about a month before. You can also opt for a space-savvy container garden displaying your blooms in a confined area. Since Chilean glory flowers are climbing plants, if you go the potted route, you can repurpose wire hangers into climbing trellises to give the vines a unique, fun contour to wrap around.