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Native Plants that Attract Hummingbirds in Virginia’s Eastern Shore

About 25 percent of the plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

Hummingbird Plants, Attract Hummingbirds, Native Plants, Native Perennials, Native Vines, Virginia Native Plant, Virginia Native Perennials, Virginia Native Vines

Virginia is divided into seven main ecological regions: the Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Southeastern Plains, the Piedmont, the Northern Piedmont, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Ridge and Valley, and the Appalachian Plateau. Unique in topography, soil depth, pH, elevation, light, and hydrology, each region provides a rich variety of ecological habitats, supporting many native plant species.

The Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain is a region covering most of the coastal plain from the border of South Carolina and Georgia, northeast to southern New Jersey. This region tends to be flat and poorly drained, with dunes, beaches, and barrier islands along the coastline, usually with extensive wetlands behind them.

The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties (Accomack and Northampton) on the Atlantic coast detached from the mainland of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The terrain is overall very flat, ranging from sea level to just 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. It is characterized by sandy and deep soil. The weather in the area has temperate summers and winters, significantly affected by the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Virginia's Eastern Shore is home to many species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. It can also support many non-native species which are beginning to make their way across the landscape. Regrettably, some of these exotic immigrants are invasive and are threatening the native flora and ecology of the state.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species, and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants.

  • First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers, and pesticides or use less water.
  • Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats.
  • Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Here is a list of native plants that attract hummingbirds in Virginia's Eastern Shore gardens.

  • Never collect native plants from the wild as it will deplete natural ecosystems. 
  • When possible, plant species grown straight from local seed sources. These native originals are the best choice, as they co-evolved with specific wildlife, which supports migration, breeding, and other seasonal interdependencies.

 

Guide Information

Native Plants United States, Southeast, Virginia
Attracts Hummingbirds

Native Plants that Attract Hummingbirds in Virginia's Eastern Shore

Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Bignonia capreolata (Cross Vine)
Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Button Bush)
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)
Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead)
Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet)
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)
Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire)
Lilium superbum (Lily)
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle)
Rhododendron atlanticum (Coastal Azalea)
Rhododendron periclymenoides (Pinxterbloom Azalea)
Rhododendron viscosum (Swamp Azalea)
Salvia lyrata (Lyreleaf Sage)
Solidago caesia (Wreath Goldenrod)
Solidago odora (Sweet Goldenrod)

Discover more beautiful Virginia native plants

Virginia native plants

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Native Plants United States, Southeast, Virginia
Attracts Hummingbirds
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Upper South Middle South

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