Fuel Up! The Best Nectar-Rich Fall Flowers to Feed Hummingbirds and Butterflies
Fall is in the air. The scent of pumpkin spice perfumes your favorite café, while sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes disappear from farm stands. On the plus side: you no longer melt when walking through the garden. But soon, your favorite garden companions will abandon your blooms on their journey south. What can you do to ensure a successful migration for your hummingbird and butterfly guests?
Plant a nectar-filled fall feast of flowers to send them safely on their way.
What Are the Best Fall-Blooming Perennials to Grow for Hummingbird and Butterfly Migration?
Nectar-producing, late-blooming perennials give hummingbirds and butterflies the fuel they need to migrate. As the summer garden fades, it’s important to ensure a steady supply of nectar for our friendly travelers. (But don’t forget to add pollen-producers as well for the bees that stick around and overwinter in your leaf litter and plant stems.)
Thankfully, you’ll find an amazing array of gorgeous nectar-producing plants to fill your fall beds, borders, and containers—and feed migrating hummingbirds and butterflies. Plus, who doesn’t love a fall garden reset? The days may be getting shorter, the mornings may be darker, but filling your garden with gorgeous blooms adds a burst of energy not only for hummingbirds and butterflies—but for the gardener, too.
9 Best Fall-Blooming Perennials for Hummingbirds and Butterflies
Nine of the best fall-blooming perennials for migrating hummingbirds and butterflies are salvia, asters, cardinal flower, sedum, catmint, anise hyssop, ironweed, goldenrod, and blazing star. These late bloomers supply high-energy nectar right up to first frost, when migrating travelers need it most.
Salvia (Salvia spp.)
With tall spikes of red, blue, or purple tubular flowers ideal for slender beaks, salvia entices hummingbirds throughout the summer to sip from the beautiful blooms. But fortunately, with a little TLC of removing spent blooms, salvia continues feeding your flitty friends throughout autumn.
Varieties like Blue by You have excellent winter hardiness and heat tolerance; the bright blue blooms feed hummingbirds and butterflies all season long. As a bonus, deer and rabbits dislike it. USDA zones 4-9
Asters (Aster spp.)
Native daisy-like perennials burst into bloom in late summer and autumn, with purple, pink, and blue flowers attracting pollinators. Along with feeding a slew of winged friends, asters offer an important source of late-season nectar for migrating monarchs.
Grape Crush New England Aster finishes the season in rich purple style, with dense blooms that pop against dark green foliage. This native creates a full, bushy form that’s ideal for the back of borders or fall displays. USDA Zones 3-8
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
A hummingbird favorite, Cardinal Flower puts on a show in late summer with tall, striking ruby-red flower spikes that add brilliant color to the late-season garden. Cardinal flower depends on hummingbirds for pollination and provides high-energy nectar for them through first frost. Plus, deer dislike cardinal flower.
Lobelia Starship™ Scarlet is a new cardinal flower with dramatic, scarlet-red flowers that rise on dark stems. Well-suited for use in moist areas. USDA Zones 6-10
Sedum (Sedum spp.)
Commonly known as stonecrop, hardy sedum plants grow easily with little pampering. Adored by gardeners and pollinators alike, sedum are divided into two categories: low-growing sedum—perfect for ground covers—and upright sedum, which bees and butterflies adore. Deer and rabbits avoid sedum, but pollinators love the blooms.
You’ve probably seen popular Autumn Joy Sedum. But don’t miss new varieties, like Spectacular Sedum and Evolution™ Purple Crush Sedum. USDA Zones 4-9
Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
Perfect for attracting hummingbirds, moths, butterflies, and bees to your garden, catmint’s pretty flowers feed the pollinators—but deer and rabbits tend to stay away. Drought-tolerant and long-blooming, you’ll find many varieties to try, with Walker’s Low one of the more popular, compact forms.
But check out newer cultivars, like Catwalk Queen. It produces exceptionally large, lavender-blue flowers—more than twice the size of typical varieties. USDA Zones 3-8
Anise Hyssop (Agastache spp.)
A perfect pollinator plant adored by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, Anise Hyssop benefits humans, too—its leaves make a tasty tea. Pretty, upright bottlebrush flowers bloom beautifully into fall. Plus, deer and rabbits avoid snacking on the plant.
While the native variety can spread aggressively through self-seeding, newer hybrids behave more politely. With fragrant, licorice-scented foliage, Blue Fortune produces beautiful blue, spiky flowers that bloom all season. USDA Zones 4-9
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)
Not only does native common Ironweed produce gorgeous clusters of brilliant purple blooms on towering stalks, but it’s also a great perennial for pollinator support. Growing to six feet tall, common ironweed is a great pick for the back of a border, or the edges of a yard or meadow. USDA Zones 4-9
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Goldenrod provides an abundant source of nectar and sticky, protein-rich pollen for bees, butterflies, and native insects preparing for winter. Plus, goldfinches eat its seeds and woodpeckers feed on the protein-rich insect larvae hidden inside goldenrod galls. Many native varieties grow beautifully, but you’ll also find nativars, like Fireworks Goldenrod. USDA Zones 4-8
Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)
With more than 37 species, you’ll find the perfect late summer-to-autumn-blooming Blazing Star for your fall garden. An erect-growing, clump-forming native that typically grows six feet tall, Marsh Blazing Star attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, while songbirds feed on its seeds. USDA Zones 3-9
Will Summer Flowers Help Migrating Hummingbirds and Butterflies?
Yes. With a little deadheading and TLC, many summer plants, like petunias and lantanas, continue to produce flowers throughout fall, providing nectar for migrating hummingbirds and butterflies.
What Are the Best Fall-Blooming Annuals for Hummingbirds and Butterflies?
Many annuals, like zinnias and cosmos, grow inexpensively from seeds and provide a great source of nectar in the fall garden. Supplement your perennial plantings with bright bursts of easy-to-grow annuals.
4 annuals to add for migrating hummingbirds and butterflies include:
Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
Although not a true sunflower, Torch Mexican Sunflower is a common wildflower native to Central America and Mexico. The bright blossoms contain a rich concentration of nectar, providing migrating hummingbirds and butterflies the high-calorie fuel they need. The plants bloom from mid-to-late summer and continue until first frost.
Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)
For an easy-to-grow, vibrant flower that feeds pollinators all season long, zinnias make the perfect addition to the garden. Zinnias provide a crucial late-season food source when other flowers fade. Their open, flat-topped flower heads offer easy access to nectar for pollinators. For a long-lasting, interesting variety, try gold medal AAS-winning Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor Zinnia.
Edging Lobelia (Lobelia erinus)
While not to be confused with perennial (cardinal flower) lobelia, annual edging lobelia also offers a great source of nectar for pollinators. Fountain Blue Lobelia is gorgeous in cool spring temperatures. Fountain Blue often rests during the heat of the summer, then reblooms when temperatures drop in fall, providing a good energy source.
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
If you’re eager to attract pollinators to your garden, planting cosmos is an easy way to encourage them to visit. Available in a wide variety of colors, the pretty flowers look lovely planted in masses. Plus, with their long bloom season, cosmos offers the perfect buffet for migrating hummingbirds and butterflies. For a pretty pop of pink, try Pink Popsocks Cosmos.
Should you take down hummingbird feeders in fall because “they discourage fall migration”?
No. Hummingbird migration is triggered by day length, not extended access to sugar water. Keep feeders up two to three weeks after you’ve seen the last hummingbird in your garden, in case late travelers stop by.
Clean feeders and provide fresh sugar water (1 cup sugar to 4 cups water—no red dye) every few days. The hummingbirds will appreciate both your flowers and the feeders before they journey south.
Are you ready to fill your garden with fall-blooming perennials and annuals for migrating hummingbirds and butterflies?
It’s always bittersweet when they leave on their journey, but before you know it, your garden companions will be back, sipping nectar from spring blooms.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fall Flowers for Migrating Hummingbirds and Butterflies
When do hummingbirds and butterflies migrate in the fall?
Timing depends on where you live. In much of the northern U.S. and Canada, hummingbirds start heading south in late summer. Monarch butterflies move south in late summer through October. Tracking sites like Journey North will help you see when the butterflies and hummingbirds are migrating from your area. HummingbirdWatcher showcases hummingbird migration while MonarchWatch and Butterfly.NWF highlight the butterflies.
What are some red or orange flowers for hummingbirds in the fall?
Cardinal flower, salvia, and Mexican sunflower are all good choices to plant in your fall garden. While they do visit all colors, Hummingbirds are drawn to bright tubular blooms.
Is it okay to leave my garden messy for the winter?
Yes. Leaving stems and leaf litter in place gives overwintering bees and other beneficial insects a place to shelter, and seed heads feed songbirds. Read more at What to Leave in the Garden for the Birds.
What is the difference between a native, cultivar, and nativar?
NATIVE: A plant that is found in a local or regional ecosystem without human intervention. Only plants found in the U.S. before European settlement are considered native. Tags should reference geographic qualifiers, such as “Native to New England.”
CULTIVAR: Plants that naturally mutate and are selected by humans, or plants intentionally bred for specific traits.
NATIVAR: Cultivated variety of a native plant, with the same pollinator help and local adaptations as straight natives, but with improved forms or other desirable traits.
Do you know that National Garden Bureau members include the most innovative breeders and distributors of plants and products perfect for feeding pollinators? To find the best hummingbird- and butterfly-friendly flowers, check out the plants available from National Garden Bureau members.
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