Draw Hummingbirds To Your Garden With A Unique Vine That Blooms With Twisted Flowers

If you're keen to draw hummingbirds to your garden, you'll want to grow a variety of plants that have rich, nectar-filled blooms that the little hummers will be attracted to. Hummingbirds need copious amounts of sweet nectar to fuel their busy flight, so the more variety you have in your yard, the more likely you are to see these birds flitting from flower to flower to fill up their energy reserves. While many common annuals and perennials will produce nectar-rich blooms to draw hummingbirds, there's one unique vine that you might want to consider because it has the most incredible twisted flowers: the corkscrew vine.

The corkscrew vine (Vigna caracalla) is a semi-perennial climbing vine native to tropical South America. This means it can only be successfully grown outdoors year-round in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 12. In other areas, you can grow it in a container to bring indoors over winter. What you'll find most attractive about this fast-growing vine is that the pink, white, and purple flowers are twisted and curled so that they somewhat resemble the form of a snail shell. This is why it's also commonly called the snail vine. Not only are these blooms highly fragrant with a scent reminiscent of hyacinths and lilies, but they'll attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Pair this with a few other plants that will attract both hummingbirds and butterflies your yard, and you'll have a garden absolutely buzzing with life. 

If you live in a warm region, you can plant this climbing vine out in the garden in rich, moist soil that also drains well. Choose a sunny location and make sure that you have a nice, sturdy trellis to support the fast growing vine. Cutting back the stems and tendrils once the vine has covered the trellis will trigger flowering, and the hummingbirds will be able to enjoy the sweet nectar contained in the pretty blooms. Make sure you keep the plant well-watered to ensure lots of lush, healthy growth and flowers. And, while you're at it, don't forget the hummers by making a DIY hummingbird water fountain that will keep them clean and hydrated.

After the blooms, the vine produces bean-like pods that contain seeds that can spread to other areas, but the corkscrew vine is not currently on any invasive plant lists. In the event your area does experience frost, the vine will die back but will resume vigorous growth once spring comes around again. After it gets frost-damaged, just cut it back and wait for it to regrow. To complement your corkscrew vine, you might also be interested in some fast-growing ground covers that'll attract hummingbirds and pollinators to your yard.