Drought-Tolerant Vines for Hummingbirds

Lonicera

• Some vines in the Lonicera genus attract birds and tolerate drought. The coral or trumpet honeysuckle (L. sempervirens) grows quickly to 25 feet long. This vine has deciduous or evergreen foliage, depending on climate. It produces bird-attracting red, coral and yellow trumpet-shaped flowers from spring through fall. The goldflame honeysuckle (L. x heckrotti) tolerates drought and flowers from spring through summer with red, pink or yellow bird-attracting flowers. This semi-evergreen grows to 13 feet long and thrives in sun or partial shade.

Campsis

• Some vines in the Campsis genus tolerate drought and attract hummingbirds. The trumpet creeper (C. radicans) grows from 20 to 40 feet long and blooms from early summer to late fall with large, trumpet-shaped, orange-red flowers. This deciduous vine also tolerates wind, poor soil and neglect. A native vine, the trumpet creeper can grow aggressively if left unchecked. The trumpet vine (C. grandiflora) also attracts hummingbirds with its orange-red and pink flowers. It blooms from summer through fall and grows quickly to 20 feet. This deciduous vine prefers full-sun exposures.

Other Evergreen Vines

• The flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta) attracts the first hummingbirds of the year with its bright red-orange flowers that appear from late winter through spring. This evergreen grows quickly and tolerates drought, severe pruning and acidic to alkaline soils. It grows best in sunny, well-draining sites. The cross vine (Bignonia capreolata) tolerate drought and salt. They thrive in sunny to lightly shaded sites and grow quickly to 50 feet. These evergreens attract hummingbirds with their fragrant, orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers that appear in mid-spring.

Other Deciduous to Semi-Evergreen Vines

• The coral vine (Antigonon leptopus) grows to 30 feet long. This semi-evergreen thrives in full sun and tolerates drought and heat. It attracts hummingbirds with the small, rosy flowers it produces from summer through autumn. The cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) tolerates drought, heat and salt and attracts hummingbirds with scarlet-orange flowers that bloom from summer through autumn. This deciduous vine grows to 20 feet tall and thrives in sun to light shade and sandy, poor soil.