Forget red flowers — this blue shrub is the new hummingbird magnet you need in your yard

Bee hummingbird in flight.

It’s well known that hummingbirds adore red, but to attract more hummingbirds to your yard, you need to think beyond the red spectrum. And why wouldn’t you want to find more ways to encourage these beautiful birds into your garden?

The surprising color that can also attract hummingbirds is blue. But it’s not easy being blue in the plant world, and according to the New York Botanical Garden, blue pigments occur in fewer than 10% of flowering plants.

So, what is this mysterious blue plant that hummingbirds adore? When I think of blue in the yard, I automatically imagine delphiniums and agapanthus. However, this specific blue plant that will entice hummingbirds is blue blossom, also known as Californian wild lilac and Ceonothus thyrsiflorus.

Hummingbirds will seek out blue blossom

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Blue blossom is a large, vigorous evergreen shrub that can grow up to 20 feet tall. It has small, mid-green glossy leaves and bears clusters of tiny blue flowers.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar-rich spring flowers that bloom between April and June, while songbirds feed on the small purple or brown seed pods that follow. What’s more, the shrub’s dense evergreen foliage provides secure shelter and nesting.

Apart from birds, butterflies, bees and other insects are attracted to the blue blossom, making it a perfect shrub for bringing wildlife into your garden.

Growing conditions for blue blossom

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Blue blossom thrives in USDA zones 7 to 9, in full sun to partial shade. It performs well in a range of soil types, including loamy, sandy, clay and rocky terrain. However, the soil must be well-drained; otherwise, excess water can cause fungal disease and shorten the plant’s life.

It’s also a low-maintenance option and, once established, it’s remarkably drought-tolerant and rarely requires summer watering.

I've grown blue blossom in a previous garden, and I can assure you it’s a popular wildlife habitat and an easy-grower. You really can't go wrong with this shrub.

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• I asked 2 ornithologists about the surprising way hummingbirds use spatial memory to find feeders — and how to attract more of them to your yard
• Hummingbirds love this one plant — and I think you’ll fall in love with it too