Anna's Hummingbirds in the Winter Garden

Jonna Semke
Jan 11
2 min read

Updated: Jan 23

Hummingbirds Don’t Migrate. Does Your Garden Support Them?

Anna’s Hummingbirds in the Winter Garden

Most people think of hummingbirds as a summer phenomenon. In the Pacific Northwest, that assumption fails in winter.

Anna’s hummingbirds don’t migrate. They stay. Through freezing nights, cold rain, and short days, relying entirely on what the landscape can still provide. Which makes winter the most honest season for understanding whether a garden truly works.

This reel shows more than a beautiful moment. It shows a functional winter garden.

Anna's hummingbird keeping watch over its food source

Why This Matters in Garden Design

A dozen Anna’s hummingbird feeding at once on Arthur Menzies Mahonia is not accidental. It’s the result of intentional plant selection, scale, and placement.

Winter-blooming plants like mahonia are often chosen for color alone. In reality, they are critical infrastructure, providing dense, reliable nectar when energy conservation matters most.

When winter nectar plants are grouped and easy to locate, birds burn fewer calories searching for food. That efficiency is the difference between presence and absence in January.

Good winter design is not decorative, it is functional.

Feeders Help, but Gardens Do the Heavy Lifting

Feeders can be important during cold snaps, but they are not a substitute for planting.

Hummingbirds depend on landscapes, not accessories.

Even in winter, Anna’s hummingbirds need insects for protein. They forage in bark crevices, evergreen foliage, and leaf litter where life persists despite the cold. Gardens that are aggressively “cleaned up” in winter remove those food sources, often without realizing it.

A winter garden stripped bare may look tidy but it rarely supports much life.

Structure Is Shelter

Small birds lose heat quickly. Wind exposure, rain, and cold nights increase energy demand, making shelter just as important as food.

Dense evergreen shrubs, layered conifers, and protected thickets near nectar sources create microclimates that allow hummingbirds to rest, feed, and survive winter conditions. These structural elements are often framed as aesthetic choices, but their ecological role is fundamental.

Evergreen structure is not a styling decision, it is protection.

Water Still Matters

Liquid water is often overlooked in winter landscapes. Shallow basins, moving water, or heated birdbaths provide essential access when natural sources freeze. Placement matters as much as design, with sheltered locations reducing exposure and heat loss.

Winter water does not need to be elaborate. It needs to endure.

What This Says About a Garden

A garden that supports hummingbirds in January is doing more than looking good. It suggests that function was integrated into the design, structure was prioritized early, and seasonal performance guided plant choices.

This is how we approach landscape design: beauty and usability first, followed closely by ecological function that works year-round.

Winter reveals whether a garden is merely ornamental, or whether it participates in the living systems around it. This is the best way to support Anna's hummingbirds in the winter garden.

If you’re interested in a garden that performs beyond summer, supports wildlife year-round, and still feels intentional and refined, this is where thoughtful design begins.

Winter is not an afterthought. It’s the foundation.

🔗 Learn more about our winter-forward design approach at lakamaslandscapedesign.com