Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Hummingbird fuel — slender lavender-blue tubes too deep for most insects from Jun to Sep — good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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Massachusetts · Zones 5–7
Native Hummingbird Plants in Massachusetts
Tubular, nectar-heavy native flowers that draw hummingbirds far more reliably — and safely — than any sugar-water feeder. For Massachusetts, the right natives are shaped by Northeastern Coastal Forest & Cape and a cool, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Anise Hyssop and Foxglove Beardtongue to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Massachusetts and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 5–7. Hummingbirds are wired to investigate red and orange tubular flowers, so a few well-placed natives will out-pull a feeder and never need cleaning. Stagger bloom times so there is nectar from spring migration through fall departure, and plant near a perch or shrub where the birds can rest between feedings.
The plants
15 native species for Massachusetts
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Draws hummingbirds with white nectar tubes in May and Jun, spreading 1–2 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A nectar stop hummingbirds return to, its deep blue flowers carried in Aug and Sep; happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Hummingbird fuel — slender electric scarlet tubes too deep for most insects from Jul to Sep — reaching 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A nectar stop hummingbirds return to, its lavender-blue flowers carried in Apr and May — for loam ground.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Hummingbird fuel — slender rose pink tubes too deep for most insects from Apr to Aug — happy in rocky and loam soil.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Draws hummingbirds with white nectar tubes from Jun to Aug; good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A nectar stop hummingbirds return to, its lavender flowers carried from Jun to Aug, hardy in zones 3–9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Tubular coral-red flowers shaped for a hummingbird's bill from Apr to Sep, spreading 3–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Hummingbird fuel — slender pink tubes too deep for most insects in Aug and Sep; good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
A magnet for hummingbirds — red blooms held from Apr to Jun for them to probe, spreading 12–18 in.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Tubular sky blue flowers shaped for a hummingbird's bill from Mar to May, spreading 12–18 in.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Draws hummingbirds with scarlet red nectar tubes in Jul and Aug, reaching 2.5–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A nectar stop hummingbirds return to, its pink-white flowers carried in Apr and May; spreading 3–6 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
A hummingbird flower — frothy white tubular blooms from May to Jul; happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Sourcing
Where to find these in Massachusetts
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.