Gotta Love Hummingbird Sage!!

Have you ever forgotten to refill the hummingbird feeder and then realized you were completely out of food? All the while you watch the hummers darting around the yard seeking that elusive red syrup in their frantic panic dance? What a relief to know that those precious zippy little birds can be attracted to your yard with ease simply by planting a few of their favorite nectar plants!

Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) is a local favorite for our little feathered friends, growing naturally throughout the central coast in the oak woodlands and chaparral, and usually found in the dry shade of oak trees or tucked into shady glens. As the name implies, the hummingbirds love the striking red flower stalks with individual tiered whorls of tubular blooms…one of the hallmarks of the salvia and sage families. The blooms are covered with a sticky resin that helps makes it one of the most fragrant sages around, and children love to inspect them up close to see those tiny resin beads, feel their velvety softness, and inhale that rich aroma.

Hummingbird sage makes a striking ground cover and tends to spread for a nice addition to a meadow garden, and needs just a little summer water to keep it looking good. Cut spent flower stalks back and these semievergreen herbaceous perennials will come back next season. It does better with partial shade and can tolerate oak liter under the trees. 

Here on the central coast, we enjoy the year-round resident Anna’s hummingbird with that brilliant rose-red head and throat on the males, but we also can be visited by Allen’s hummers during their fall migrations to Mexico. The amazing Rufous breeds all the way up in the Pacific northwest and elusive Calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird in North American at only 31/2 inches! It’s challenging to identify which hummers are visiting your yard, but a good pair of field binoculars can really help.

Bring on the Red

If you have observed hummers in your yard, you have no doubt noticed how they are perfectly designed for tubular flowers: those long, thin needle-like beaks help them sip up some drops of nectar at the bloom’s base, and they may even get a dusting of pollen on their heads in the process. Zipping from flower to flower, they then deposit the pollen as they feed and provide valuable pollination services for the plants. Although they visit a variety of plants, those with red and orange flowers seem to catch their attention most often, perhaps because bees do not recognize red flowers easily. They also grab tiny insects and spiders as they feed, so be careful not to use insecticides on nectar plants. 

In addition to sages, there are plenty of other choices for the home gardener interested in attracting hummingbirds. A year-round source of blossoms on ground covers, annuals, shrubs and trees all contribute to the hummer’s diet. And as an added bonus: these same flowers also attract butterflies and beneficial insects to your garden. Complete your hummingbird habitat haven with a consistent water source and you are all set to toss those empty hanging feeders. By planting a variety of Salvia and Penstemon species, you will provide natural hummingbird food as well as have beautiful, water-wise plants in your garden to enjoy all summer.

Here are some additional perennial hummer favorites:

Heuchera, coral bells

Mimulus cardinalis, scarlet monkey flower

Zauschneria (Epilobium), California fuchsia

Ribes, current, gooseberry

So next time you find yourself out of feeder food, plant some Hummingbird sage and companion plants instead and watch hummingbirds flock to your yard. All the plants mentioned can be purchased at local and native plant nurseries. And next time you go for a hike or drive, keep your eye out for patches of wild sage in the foothills for a real treat!