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Hummingbird Sage
Salvia spathacea
  
About Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea) 84 Nurseries Carry This Plant Like many other species of salvia, Hummingbird Sage is a magnet for pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and ?- of course ?- hummingbirds! This attractive sage is notable for its bold pink and red flowering spikes and pleasant fragrance. It spreads by rhizomes and over time can cover a large area, making it a popular groundcover plant.

Hummingbird Sage grows well in shade and part-shade. In its natural environment, it's often found under trees and large shrubs. It is drought tolerant and can survive without summer irrigation once established. Some supplemental water will keep the foliage green.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
1 - 3 ft tall
3 ft wide

Form
Form
Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Pink, Red

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 2 confirmed , 7 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Shade, Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
It is often found under trees or large shrubs such as Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica) or Madrone (Arbutus menziesii). Companion understory plants include California Peony (Paeonia californica), Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii), Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis, Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfiolata), and Canyon Sunflower (Venegasia carpesioides).

Maintenance
Maintenance
Can be deadheaded and lightly pruned in summer if a neater appearance is desired.

Propagation
Propagation?
Spreads by rhizomes.  For propagating by seed: No treatment; sow outdoors in early fall. Germination may be poor if diurnal fluctuation insufficient; see also alternative treatments for S. mellifera.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
5, 7, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry shady areas, primarily near the coast. It occurs in a variety of habitats. Nearest the coast, it may be found in coastal strand or chaparral. Inland and slightly higher in elevation, it occurs in oak woodland and other woodland types.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 7.6" - 35.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 0.60", Coldest Month: 40.2" - 55.0", Hottest Month: 63.0" - 78.5", Humidity: 0.47" - 26.03", Elevation: 2" - 3927"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Crimson Sage


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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