Louisiana Native Plants for Hummingbirds — Songbird Regenerative, LLC

If you want to help the hummingbirds, skip the feeders and plant native!

This past Saturday, my wife and I took a trip to the LSU Ag Center’s Hammond Research Station to check out the Baton Rouge Audubon Society’s Hummingbird Celebration. We got to see hummingbirds up close while they were being banded by LSU’s Assistant Professor of Wildlife Management Dr. Erik Johnson, and even got a chance to touch them and feel their heartbeat before they were released!

Dr. Johnson in the process of banding a hummingbird.

‍ ‍Wild Ones was there teaching about native plants that support hummingbirds and other pollinators, as well as doing the important work of sharing native plant seeds, while Wild Birds Unlimited and Backyard Birds & Gardens sold feeding supplies, books, and other hummingbird themed items.

Jane Patterson, president of the BR Audubon Society gave a great presentation filled with a lot of interesting facts:

Hummingbirds are only found in N. & S. America
There are over 360 species, with the Ruby-Throated being the only one that breeds in Louisiana.
As fly-catchers, a large portion of a hummingbird’s diet is made up of insects
Their eggs hatch in only 2 days!
Peak southern migration is in September, while they arrive in the US February-March.
Some western species visit Louisiana from August-April and need winter-blooming plants.

She also gave lots of tips on using feeders and the importance of cleaning them! An important rule is that if you can’t keep them clean, then do NOT use feeders. The syrup needs to be changed every 1-2 days, and should be checked frequently for spoilage. Keep in mind that hummingbirds don’t need our feeders to survive; the main purpose of feeders is for our own viewing pleasure.

If cleaning and filling feeders every 1-2 days sounds like too much work, you aren’t alone! Thankfully, there are plenty of plants that we can add to your landscape to attract and support hummingbirds and other pollinators, some of which we have listed below.