Hummingbird Haven: Chocolate-Scented Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden

There is a sense of enchantment when a hummingbird visits. Watching these little guys fly across your lawn is nothing short of seeing fairies. Their vivid colors and explosive movements make them thrilling to watch in action—especially since they’re not guaranteed to appear in every garden. One of the biggest ways to attract more hummingbirds is to grow the right flowers, if you search the internet for advice on this. Hummingbirds are absolutely attracted to a wide range of flowers and this one is definitely worth adding to their long list of favorites.

The rich crimson flowers with pale stripes on the rounded petals are called chocolate cosmos. This species of cosmos smells like chocolate, as you might (wrongly) guess from the name, which attracts people. We’re not the only creatures who enjoy the chocolate cosmos; Hummingbirds also adore them, perhaps because of their rich red color. What you need to know about these flowers and why hummingbirds love them can increase your chances of seeing these little birds in your garden while creating scents that delight humans and other pollinators.

Read more: 15 Flowers You Can Grow To Ward Off Insects

Why Hummingbirds Love Chocolate Cosmos

For this reason alone, passionate gardeners will plant this flower to create a chocolate-scented garden; But, there is also a chance that hummingbirds will start frequenting your outdoor area. Hummingbirds are attracted to chocolate cosmos mainly because of its color. Bright, vivid colors—especially red—draw hummingbirds, who are drawn to colorful gardens. In the case of chocolate cosmic shades, this is the most common. They range from a rich, saturated red color that, surprisingly, looks like chocolate to a lighter, more vivid red.

However, the smell is more beneficial to you and the pollinators. Hummingbirds’ sense of smell is debatable, as is the purpose of their keen sense of smell, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that these beautiful flowers smell good. There are a few things to consider if you’re thinking of placing hummingbirds in your yard to increase your chances of seeing them.

They can be a bit difficult for novice gardeners to nurture and perfect at first. But after blooming these flowers are easy to care for. Initially, they need plenty of water and full light, but these requirements can be reduced as the seedlings begin to appear. Inadequate fertilization is not a problem as long as the soil is not properly drained.

Other Species Chocolate Cosmos Will And Won’t Attract To Your Garden

In addition to hummingbirds, chocolate cosmos will draw other lovely faces to your garden. Finches can be seen sorting through the seeds during their meal; Hummingbirds aren’t the only feathered companions who enjoy them. Scent plays a key role in selecting flowers for pollinators such as bees and butterflies to visit. Because of this, chocolate cosmos seem like a credible contender for these insects. In addition to being a pollinator, this type of cosmos will attract other insects such as hoverflies, which help them eat unwanted insects. Even better, these flowers repel many common garden pests.

Although it may sound magical, the perfume that is reminiscent of candies and attracts the most desirable insects and birds to your yard is actually the result of a naturally occurring substance in the plant called vanillin. Although some animals (and gardeners) find the aroma pleasant, not all animals are attracted to the taste and aroma of chocolate cosmos. These flowers are a great way to improve the scent and look of your garden because deer and rabbits, the usual culprits behind ruined flower patches and flower gardens, keep them away.

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