I want to plant some flowers that attract hummingbirds. What kind of bulbs should I plant in the fall?

If you're gardening around Camden/South Jersey, you have a nice fall window for planting spring bulbs. Rutgers recommends planting spring-flowering bulbs around mid-September through October, once soil temperatures cool below about 60°F.

One important distinction: the best hummingbird flowers aren't necessarily bulbs. Hummingbirds favor bright red/orange, tubular flowers, and Rutgers recommends using a succession of blooms from late spring through early fall.

Best fall-planted bulbs for hummingbirds

• Alliums — Probably my top bulb recommendation. Their tall purple flower heads are excellent for pollinators and provide an early-season nectar source.
• Camassia — Blue/purple flowers in late spring; a good choice if your soil stays somewhat moist.
• Lily bulbs (Lilium) — Especially orange, red, or yellow lilies. These are much more directly useful to hummingbirds because of their trumpet-shaped flowers. Rutgers specifically lists Canada lily as a native NJ hummingbird plant.
• Crocosmia — Red/orange tubular flowers that hummingbirds really like. It's somewhat less reliably winter-hardy than the bulbs above, so I'd treat it as a more experimental choice in South Jersey.
• Fritillaria — Some varieties have tubular, pendant flowers and can provide an interesting early-season nectar source.

What I'd actually plant

If your goal is “make my yard a hummingbird magnet,” I'd use fall bulbs as just the beginning:

Fall: alliums + lilies
Spring/summer: native cardinal flower, bee balm, butterfly weed and trumpet honeysuckle
Late summer/fall: cardinal flower, native phlox and other long-blooming nectar plants.

Rutgers specifically recommends cardinal flower, butterfly milkweed and Canada lily among New Jersey natives that attract ruby-throated hummingbirds.

And if you have room for only a few plants, I'd prioritize native perennials over bulbs. Hummingbirds need nectar continuously through the season, rather than one big burst of flowers.

If you'd like, I can also give you a 10-plant hummingbird garden for South Jersey, with exactly what to plant, where to put it, and when each one blooms.

Traditional true bulbs (like tulips and daffodils) don't offer much for hummingbirds, but several fall-planted perennial roots and specialized bulbs will emerge in spring or summer with the tubular, nectar-rich flowers hummingbirds love.

The best options to plant in the fall include:

• Columbine (Aquilegia) : Available as bare-root plants/potted starts or specialized root bundles in the fall, native columbines (like the Eastern Red Columbine ) are vital early-season food sources . Their distinctive spurred, tubular flowers bloom right as early-migrating hummingbirds arrive.
• Crown Imperial (Fritillaria imperialis) : This striking, architectural spring-blooming bulb produces a crown of bold, bell-shaped orange or red flowers in mid-to-late spring. Hummingbirds are naturally drawn to their vibrant warm tones and nectar-filled pendant blooms.
• Crocosmia : Technically a corm rather than a true bulb, varieties like 'Lucifer' produce intense, trumpet-shaped red or orange blossoms. While often sold and planted in spring in colder zones, corms can go in during fall in milder climates to erupt into mid-summer spikes that hummingbirds adore.
• Coral Bells (Heuchera) : Though grown from perennial root crowns rather than bulbs, these are frequently grouped with fall-planting selections. They send up delicate wands of tiny, bell-shaped pink or red flowers that shady garden spots rely on for hummingbird visits.
• Canna Lilies : Sold as rhizomes, these tropical-looking stunners (especially red or orange varieties) can be treated as tender bulbs to plant or store depending on your zone, providing high-impact summer feeding stations.

If you share your USDA hardiness zone or general region , I can give you exact planting times and tell you whether these choices will reliably return each year in your local climate.

When planning a hummingbird garden in the fall, it helps to know a fun botanical secret: true traditional bulbs (like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths) that you plant in the fall actually bloom in the spring, and most spring-blooming bulbs aren't ideal for hummingbirds because they lack the tubular shapes and nectar levels these birds crave.

However, you have two great options for the fall: planting specialized early-spring bulbs/corms that catch the very first migrating hummingbirds, or planting hardy root-stock perennials in the fall that will shoot up tubular, high-nectar flowers by summer.

1. Fall-Planted Bulbs/Corms for Early Spring

• Crocus (specifically Crocus tommasinianus varieties like 'Hummingbird'): These tiny corms go in the ground during autumn and bloom in late winter or early spring. The slender, lavender-to-purple goblet flowers provide a crucial, early jolt of nectar for the first arriving or year-round resident hummingbirds when little else is awake.
• Fritillaria (Crown Imperial or similar): Planted in the fall, these striking, large bulbs emerge in mid-to-late spring. Varieties like the red or orange Crown Imperial produce large, dangling, bell-like tubular structures that match the exact visual preferences of early-season hummingbirds.

2. Fall-Planted Hardy Perennials (Brought in as Rootstock/Tubers)

If you want the powerhouse summer-to-fall bloomers that hummingbirds are truly addicted to (tubular, bright red, pink, or orange shapes), you can plant their roots or corms in autumn or early spring depending on your zone.

Crocosmia (e.g., 'Lucifer'): Technically corms, these can be planted to establish deep-red, tubular, sword-leaved spikes that bloom brilliantly from mid-summer straight into fall. Hummingbirds absolute adore them.

Columbine (Aquilegia): Native varieties like the Eastern Red Columbine feature unique spurred, nectar-rich red and yellow blossoms that emerge in spring and early summer . You can find bareroot or bulb-like packages of these to plant in the fall for an early show.

To help narrow down the best choices for your space, could you let me know:

• What USDA hardiness zone or region you are in?
• Do you have full sun or shady areas available for planting?

Absolutely. Since you’re in Indiana, I’d focus on hardy fall-planted bulbs that bloom into the warmer months, especially lilies. Hummingbirds are particularly attracted to red, orange, pink, and tubular flowers.

🌷 Best fall-planted bulbs for hummingbirds

• Trumpet lilies — Probably my top choice. Their large, tubular, fragrant flowers come in yellow, orange, apricot and other warm colors, and they bloom around June–July. They’re hardy through Indiana winters (Zones 4–8).
• Oriental/trumpet lily hybrids (Orienpet lilies) — Tall, dramatic plants with big flowers in pink, white, yellow and orange. Plant them 4–6 inches deep in fall.
• Other true lilies (Lilium) — A great choice if you want a succession of blooms; different varieties flower from roughly June through August, giving hummingbirds a longer season of nectar.

One important distinction: cannas and gladiolus are also hummingbird-friendly, but they're tender bulbs in Indiana and generally shouldn't be planted outdoors in fall. Purdue recommends planting tender bulbs in spring after frost danger has passed.

🌱 When to plant

For Indiana, October is an excellent target for hardy bulbs. Purdue recommends planting hardy bulbs such as lilies in fall, and late fall is also a good time for spring-flowering bulbs.

If your goal is specifically lots of hummingbirds, I'd actually combine the lilies with perennial hummingbird plants such as bee balm, cardinal flower, and native honeysuckle. The tubular red flowers are especially appealing to them, and you'll get a much longer bloom season than bulbs alone.

If you'd like, I can also give you a “hummingbird garden” mix for an Indiana yard with 5–7 plants that bloom continuously from spring through fall.

When people think of fall planting, they usually picture classic spring-blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils. While most traditional spring bulbs don't offer the tubular, nectar-rich shapes that hummingbirds prefer, there are a few fantastic choices—including specialized bulbs, corms, and tuberous perennials —that you can tuck into the ground in the autumn to feed early-arriving hummingbirds or establish gorgeous multi-season pollinator gardens.

Here are the best options to plant in the fall for a hummingbird-friendly yard:

• Fritillaria (Crown Imperial) : Varieties like Fritillaria imperialis produce stunning, dramatic crowns of bell-shaped, pendant flowers in shades of fiery orange and red during mid-to-late spring. Their distinct shape and bright tropical colors are an early beacon for hungry, migrating hummingbirds.
• Crocus (Crocus tommasinianus 'Hummingbird') : Specifically bred with slender, goblet-shaped purple-violet flowers, this early spring bloomer provides a vital, very early sip of nectar just as local hummingbirds emerge or arrive back in your region.
• Camassia (Wild Hyacinth) : Native to North America, Camassia bulbs go in during the fall and produce striking, star-to-cup-shaped vertical spikes of blue, violet, or white flowers in late spring. They are great for naturalizing in damp or semi-shady areas and draw in a wide array of pollinators.
• Allium (Ornamental Onions) : While bees tend to frequent alliums more than hummingbirds, tall purple or pink varieties like Allium 'Purple Sensation' provide architectural height and early season color that make your garden layout highly visible to passing hummers.

A Quick Tip on Timing and Selection

True bulbs planted in the fall bloom mostly in the spring . Because peak hummingbird season runs heavily through the summer and fall migration, many of the absolute best hummingbird magnets (like Crocosmia, Gladiolus , and Tuberose ) are actually spring-planted bulbs/corms. If you want a continuous supply of heavy nectar from spring through the first frost, combining your fall-planted bulbs with summer-blooming perennials is the ultimate strategy.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Your USDA Hardiness Zone or general region
• Whether your garden gets full sun or shade

I can give you a custom list of both fall- and spring-planted favorites that thrive in your exact climate!

Absolutely. If you're gardening around Waterford, NY, you're roughly in USDA Zone 5b/6a, so there are several hardy bulbs you can plant in fall. The trick is that most classic spring bulbs aren't especially attractive to hummingbirds. Hummingbirds strongly favor nectar-rich, tubular flowers, especially red, orange, pink, and purple ones.

Best fall-planted choices

• Red-hot poker (Kniphofia) — One of the better bulb-like choices for hummingbirds. Tall spikes of red/orange/yellow tubular flowers bloom in summer. In your climate, look for hardy varieties and give them excellent drainage.
• Lily bulbs (Lilium) — Excellent choice. Asiatic and Oriental lilies produce large, showy flowers, and many varieties are attractive to hummingbirds. Plant in fall for summer flowers.
• Alliums — Very easy and extremely hardy. They aren't a hummingbird favorite on the level of lilies or bee balm, but they're worthwhile for extending the garden's bloom sequence.
• Columbine — Technically grown from crowns rather than conventional bulbs, but eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is one I'd strongly recommend. It blooms early, has tubular red flowers, and hummingbirds readily use it.

If your main goal is hummingbirds...

I'd actually spend more of your garden space on perennials than bulbs. For your area, bee balm (Monarda), cardinal flower, anise hyssop, blazing star, and native columbine are excellent choices. Bee balm is hardy into Zone 4, while blazing star is hardy into Zone 3.

A really nice progression would be:

Spring: red columbine → early summer: lilies/bee balm → mid-summer: anise hyssop → late summer/fall: cardinal flower and blazing star.

That gives hummingbirds nectar across much more of the season, which is exactly what wildlife agencies recommend for a hummingbird garden.

One caution: don't use pesticides around the garden if you can avoid them. Hummingbirds eat insects as well as nectar, and pesticides can harm both the birds and their insect food supply.

If you tell me how much sun the planting area gets (full sun, part shade, or shade) and approximately how big the area is, I can suggest a specific fall planting combination that should give you hummingbirds from spring through fall.

If your goal is to attract hummingbirds, the best fall-planted bulbs are those that produce tubular, nectar-rich flowers in late spring and summer, when hummingbirds are actively feeding. Here are some of the best choices:

• Species lilies (Lilium) – Trumpet lilies and Turk's cap lilies are excellent hummingbird plants. They bloom in early to midsummer and are planted in fall in many climates. (Keep in mind that true lilies are highly toxic to cats.)
• Alliums (ornamental onions) – While bees are their primary visitors, hummingbirds will also visit some of the larger flowering varieties. They provide striking purple globe-shaped blooms in late spring.
• Dutch iris – Their elegant flowers provide nectar early in the season and can help bridge the gap before summer bloomers take over.
• Freesia (in mild-winter climates) – Their fragrant, tubular flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and bloom in spring after fall planting.

For the biggest hummingbird impact, combine bulbs with nectar-rich perennials and annuals that bloom through summer and fall, such as:

• Salvia
• Beardtongue (Penstemon)
• Bee balm (Monarda)
• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
• Agastache (hummingbird mint)

These plants are consistently among gardeners' top performers for attracting hummingbirds.

Planting tips

• Plant most spring-flowering bulbs about 6 weeks before the ground freezes, typically September through November depending on your climate.
• Choose a site with full sun to partial sun and well-drained soil.
• As a general rule, plant bulbs about three to four times as deep as the bulb is tall.

If you're in the central U.S. (such as Missouri), I'd especially recommend:

1. Trumpet lilies
2. Turk's cap lilies
3. Large ornamental alliums
4. Dutch iris

Those will give you blooms from late spring into midsummer, and when paired with salvias or bee balm, they'll provide hummingbirds with a continuous food source throughout the season.

Most classic flower bulbs (like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths) are planted in the fall, but they bloom in early spring and aren't typically the top choice for hummingbirds . However, you can plant certain specialized bulbs, corms, tubers, and bare-root perennials in the fall—or choose the right varieties—to give hummingbirds the tubular, nectar-rich flowers they crave.

When looking for hummingbird-friendly options to plant or prep for, focus on tubular shapes and bright colors like red, orange, pink, and deep purple.

Top options that fit a fall-planting or fall-prep timeline include:

• Red-Hot Poker (Kniphofia hybrids): Some varieties can be planted as bare-root tubers in the fall (in milder zones) or started early. They produce striking, torch-like spikes of tubular, nectar-heavy flowers that hummingbirds adore from late spring through fall. Check out options on sites like Monrovia.
• Crocosmia (such as 'Lucifer'): Technically a corm rather than a true bulb, Crocosmia is often planted in milder climates or container-prepped in autumn. It bursts with brilliant, arching sprays of bright red tubular blossoms through the summer and fall, which are a magnet for migrating hummers. You can find options via The Flower Bulb Farm.
• Bleeding Heart (Dicentra): Planted as bare-root tubers in the fall, these classic shade perennials emerge early in spring, offering a welcome, bell-shaped nectar source just as the first hummingbirds return from migration.
• Columbine (Aquilegia): Often available as fall-planted bare-root crowns/plants, native columbines produce spurred, nectar-rich tubular flowers that bloom in the spring, perfectly timed for early arrivals. You can explore varieties on Hammacher Schlemmer.
• Allium (Ornamental Onions): While less "tubular" than others, certain taller, dramatic alliums planted in the fall create striking structural focal points in late spring that attract a wide array of beneficial pollinators.

If you share your USDA hardiness zone or general region , I can give you a more precise list of what will safely overwinter in your ground versus what you should plant in the spring!

When planning a hummingbird garden, keep in mind that true bulbs (like tulips and daffodils) aren’t typically high on a hummingbird's wish list . Hummingbirds prefer tubular, nectar-rich flowers , usually in vibrant shades of red, pink, orange, or deep blue.

However, there are several corms, tubers, and specialized root perennials that you plant in the fall (or treat as fall-planted favorites depending on your zone) which yield incredible hummingbird magnets for the following seasons.

• Crocosmia (Corms): Varieties like Crocosmia 'Lucifer' produce brilliant, arching spikes of tubular red or orange flowers from mid-summer into fall. Though technically corms rather than true bulbs, they are planted and handled similarly and are absolute magnets for hummingbirds.
• Hummingbird Snow Crocus (Crocus tommasinianus 'Hummingbird'): If you want very early spring blooms, these delicate violet-blue cups emerge just as early pollinators and returning hummingbirds are looking for an initial food source.
• Freesia: Colorful, trumpet-shaped freesia clusters can be planted in mild winter/fall climates to provide a sweet-scented, nectar-filled treat.
• Red-Hot Poker (Kniphofia): Available in dwarf and standard varieties like Poco Orange , these feature striking, torch-like tubular flower spikes that bloom from summer through fall. They are tailor-made for a hummingbird’s long beak.
• Gladiolus: While often planted in spring, certain hardy or multi-season glads can be factored into a continuous pollinator plan to supply heavy mid-to-late summer nectar.

If you share your USDA Hardiness Zone or general region , I can give you a tailored list of exact varieties that will overwinter successfully in your local climate.

If you’re planting in the fall, you’ll want spring- or summer-blooming bulbs/corms that produce nectar-rich, tubular flowers. Hummingbirds are especially attracted to red, orange, pink, and trumpet-shaped blooms.

Good choices:

A few non-bulb perennials are often even better hummingbird magnets and can also be planted in fall:

• Monarda didyma — red tubular flowers that hummingbirds readily visit
• Aquilegia canadensis — an early nectar source
• Lobelia cardinalis — a late-summer/fall hummingbird favorite

For the biggest impact:

• Plant clusters of 5–10+ bulbs/corms rather than single plants.
• Choose a spot with 6+ hours of sun and well-drained soil.
• Aim for a sequence of blooms from spring through fall so food is always available.
• Avoid pesticides near the garden; hummingbirds also depend on small insects for protein.

Since you’re in Nashville, Tennessee, you’re in a good region for many hummingbird plants. A fall-planted combination I’d consider is Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ + bee balm + red columbine + trumpet lilies for a long season of color and nectar.