Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Draws hummingbirds with rose pink nectar tubes from Apr to Aug; 12–18 in tall.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
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- Rhode Island
- Hummingbirds
Rhode Island · Zones 6–7
Native Hummingbird Plants in Rhode Island
Tubular, nectar-heavy native flowers that draw hummingbirds far more reliably — and safely — than any sugar-water feeder. Rhode Island sits in a landscape of Narragansett coastal lowland, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its cool, humid, maritime character. The list below — led by Wild Bleeding Heart and Foxglove Beardtongue — is filtered to species genuinely native to Rhode Island and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 6–7. 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 Rhode Island
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Hummingbird fuel — slender white tubes too deep for most insects in May and Jun; 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Draws hummingbirds with deep blue nectar tubes in Aug and Sep — for clay and loam ground.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A hummingbird flower — lavender-blue tubular blooms in Apr and May, 12–18 in wide.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Built for hummingbirds, with sky blue nectar tubes borne from Mar to May; 12–18 in wide.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Hummingbird fuel — slender white tubes too deep for most insects from Jun to Aug — 4–8 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A magnet for hummingbirds — coral-red blooms held from Apr to Sep for them to probe, happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Draws hummingbirds with lavender nectar tubes from Jun to Aug — spreading 1.5–2 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Hummingbird fuel — slender scarlet red tubes too deep for most insects in Jul and Aug; happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A nectar stop hummingbirds return to, its lavender-blue flowers carried from Jun to Sep; good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Hummingbird fuel — slender pink tubes too deep for most insects in Aug and Sep; 2–4 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
A hummingbird flower — red tubular blooms from Apr to Jun, reaching 1–2.5 ft.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Tubular electric scarlet flowers shaped for a hummingbird's bill from Jul to Sep; happy in clay and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Built for hummingbirds, with frothy white nectar tubes borne from May to Jul, spreading 2.5–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Built for hummingbirds, with pink-white nectar tubes borne in Apr and May — reaching 4–8 in.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Sourcing
Where to find these in Rhode Island
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.