Attract More Hummingbirds To Your Yard By Planting A Cinnamon Fern

Backyard birders in the United States often go to great lengths to attract hummingbirds. They are diligent about choosing the best time to put out hummingbird feeders, sometimes even getting creative with water features to make them more attractive. Adding plants that attract hummingbirds are also a go-to method for many bird enthusiasts. Although the majority of these plants are of the flowering, nectar-producing variety, you can also attract more of these pint-sized birds to your yard by planting a cinnamon fern.

Unlike other plants birders add to their yards in order to bring in more hummingbirds, cinnamon ferns are not a food source for these tiny birds. Instead, hummingbirds harvest nesting material from these low-lying plants. Specifically, hummingbirds gather the downy wool from cinnamon ferns to use as nest lining. This material emerges from the fiddleheads of the ferns during the springtime. On older ferns, bits of wool will remain around the base, providing hummingbirds the chance to harvest throughout the year.

Planting cinnamon ferns in and around your yard will not only help attract hummingbirds, but also act as a natural pest deterrent and help create a balanced backyard ecosystem. Like all ferns, they are relatively easy to grow, making them a great fuss-free plant for beginning gardeners. They are also a great alternative for creating a no-mow yard.

Whether you are creating a hummingbird garden or simply looking to add a few cinnamon ferns to enhance your yard's appeal, the first task is to order some bare roots or live plants. The best time to plant cinnamon ferns is in the milder temperature seasons of spring and fall. This is also the time that gives them the greatest chance of arriving at your home healthy after being shipped. 

The next step is to select a suitable area to plant them. They tend to like moist soil with at least a bit of shade. In fact, they do quite well adjacent to backyard garden ponds. Given that they can expand to more than three feet in height and width, it is also important to choose a location that gives them plenty of room to grow. Then, simply dig a hole twice the size of the root ball and set the fern in the hole so that the root crown is slightly above the soil level. Be sure to space the plants a few feet apart to ensure they have room to grow to their full size.