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Plant guide · California

Native plants for hummingbirds, all year

Anna's Hummingbirds don't fly south for the winter. In much of California they stay all year, so a garden for them needs flowers in every season, winter included.

These California natives bloom one after another: manzanitas and currants from late fall, sages, penstemons and columbines in spring, and California Fuchsia from summer into winter. Which of them grow wild near you depends on your address.

See which of these grow wild near your address. Free preview, no account.

At a glance

  • Chaparral Currant

    Ribes malvaceum

    Wild in 20 of 58 counties · Low water · Part shade

    January, February, March, April, October, November, December

  • Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry

    Ribes speciosum

    Wild in 12 of 58 counties · Low water · Part shade

    January, February, March, April, May, June, November, December

  • Bigberry Manzanita

    Arctostaphylos glauca

    Wild in 16 of 58 counties · Very low water · Full sun

    January, February, March, December

  • Pink-flowering Currant

    Ribes sanguineum

    Wild in 21 of 58 counties · Low water · Part shade

    January, February, March, April, May, June, July

  • Hummingbird Sage

    Salvia spathacea

    Wild in 14 of 58 counties · Very low water · Part shade

    March, April, May

  • Scarlet Bugler

    Penstemon centranthifolius

    Wild in 16 of 58 counties · Low water · Full sun

    March, April, May, June, July, August

  • Sticky Monkeyflower

    Diplacus aurantiacus

    Wild in 37 of 58 counties · Low water · Sun or shade

    March, April, May, June

  • Chaparral Honeysuckle

    Lonicera interrupta

    Wild in 36 of 58 counties · Low water · Part shade

    March, April, May, June, July, August

  • Western Columbine

    Aquilegia formosa

    Wild in 43 of 58 counties · Moderate water · Part shade

    April, May, June, July, August

  • Scarlet Monkeyflower

    Erythranthe cardinalis

    Wild in 40 of 58 counties · High water · Part shade

    May, June, July, August, September

  • California Fuchsia

    Epilobium canum

    Wild in 47 of 58 counties · Very low water · Full sun

    June, July, August, September, October, November, December

  • Hummingbird Coyote Mint

    Monardella macrantha

    Wild in 7 of 58 counties · Low water · Part shade

    June, July, August, September, October, November

Typical bloom months in California. Plants bloom earlier in warm places and later in the mountains.

The plants

Each with its wildlife value from 1 to 100; 50 is a typical California native. Open a card for the details.

Chaparral Currant

Ribes malvaceum

Size
4–8 ft tall · 4–8 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Fall, Winter, Spring · pink
Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry

Ribes speciosum

Size
3–8 ft tall · 5–8 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer · red
Bigberry ManzanitaKeystone

Arctostaphylos glauca

Size
6–20 ft tall · 8–20 ft wide
Water
Very low
Light
Full sun
Bloom
Winter, Spring · white
Pink-flowering Currant

Ribes sanguineum

Size
5–12 ft tall · 5–10 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Winter, Spring, Summer · pink
Hummingbird Sage

Salvia spathacea

Size
1–3 ft tall · 3–6 ft wide
Water
Very low
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Spring · magenta
Scarlet Bugler

Penstemon centranthifolius

Size
1.5–4 ft tall · 1–2 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Full sun
Bloom
Spring, Summer · red
Sticky Monkeyflower

Diplacus aurantiacus

Size
2–5 ft tall · 2–4 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Sun or shade
Bloom
Spring, Summer · orange
Chaparral Honeysuckle

Lonicera interrupta

Size
3–10 ft tall · 2.5–3.5 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Spring, Summer · yellow
Western Columbine

Aquilegia formosa

Size
1.5–3 ft tall · 1–2 ft wide
Water
Moderate
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Spring, Summer · red
Scarlet Monkeyflower

Erythranthe cardinalis

Size
1–3 ft tall · 1–2 ft wide
Water
High
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Spring, Summer, Fall · red
California Fuchsia

Epilobium canum

Size
1–3 ft tall · 1.5–4 ft wide
Water
Very low
Light
Full sun
Bloom
Summer, Fall, Winter · red
Hummingbird Coyote Mint

Monardella macrantha

Size
0.3–1 ft tall · 1–2 ft wide
Water
Low
Light
Part shade
Bloom
Summer, Fall · red

Good to know

Start with winter
Winter is the season most gardens leave out. The currants and the manzanita here flower between late fall and early spring, when little else does. Source: USDA Forest Service, Hummingbirds of California
Two of these need water
Scarlet Monkeyflower grows along streams and needs regular water. Western Columbine wants some summer water and part shade. The rest need little or none once established.

How we chose these. Plants that our sources record as hummingbird favorites, widely sold by native-plant nurseries, picked so that something is in bloom every month. A report for your address keeps only the plants that have been collected growing wild near you. How the wildlife value is scored

Find out which belong at your address

Enter your address and the free preview shows your land, your soil and climate, and a first look at the natives that grow wild near you, no account needed. The full report is the whole shortlist for your address, a list you build yourself, and a printable nursery list for $40.

Planting season starts with the first rains. Now is when to plan.