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| Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea), foreground, in Mother Nature's Backyard |
Both
Allen’s and Anna’s Hummingbirds visit Mother Nature’s Backyard regularly, so we
try to have something blooming all year long. Last month (Feb 2014) we featured
another great hummingbird plant – Golden currant. Right now the favored plant is the
Hummingbird sage that’s blooming near our back porch.
Hummingbird
sage is a Salvia (sage), though its
growth habit differs from the woody shrubs and sub-shrubs we typically
associate with local sages. The name
Salvia is derived from the Latin salveo meaning "to save";
many of the salvias are still used medicinally and ceremonially. The name spathacea means "with a
spathe", which refers to the large, colorful bracts that enclose the
flower cluster. This plant is sometimes
known as Borraja Silvestre, Diosa
or Diosita in Spanish. All Salvias
are in the Mint family, Lamiaceae,
which contains the garden mints and many other aromatic herbs and shrubs.
Hummingbird
sage grows from Solano County, CA in the north to Camp Pendleton in San Diego
County. It’s found at lower elevations
(< 2500 ft) and mostly within the coastal hills and valleys. It still grows in many spots in the western
Santa Monica and Verdugo mountains. In
Southern California, this species is
typically found in shaded areas in coastal scrub, coastal sage scrub,
chaparral, and coastal live oak woodland. It’s usually seen on north- and
east-facing slopes and under oaks. Further north it can be found in more open
sites in the same plant communities.
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| Hummingbird sage is an herbaceous groundcover plant native to California |
As
seen in the photo (above), Salvia
spathacea is a low-growing, mostly herbaceous, ground
cover. With a little summer water, it’s evergreen
most of the year. The foliage is
primary low, to perhaps 18 inches; the flower stalks attain 2 to 2 ½ feet in
height. Plants have a spreading habit,
typical of the Mint family; they increase in size via rhizomes (underground
stems) and will ultimately fill an area if happy. In fact, they are one of our most useful
groundcovers in areas that are a bit shady.
The leaves of Hummingbird sage are large (to 4-6
inches; 10-15 cm), arrow-shaped to oblong, and succulent. Leaves are opposite, typical of the Mints,
and are mostly clustered in a basal rosette (cluster of leaves at the base of
the stalk). The upper leaf surfaces are
coarsely crinkled while the lower surfaces are covered with hairs. The leaves
are quite sticky and sweetly scented. In
fact, Hummingbird sage leaves are one of our favorites for tea, hot or
cold. For more on making tea from native
mints see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/06/making-tea-from-california-native-mint.html.
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| Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) spreads to form a groundcover |
While Hummingbird sage ultimately forms dense mats,
its growth rate varies greatly depending on conditions. It spreads more quickly in moist clay soils;
more slowly in sandy coastal soils. On
a well-drained slope, it may take 4-5 years to provide complete coverage. The photo above shows a large, relatively
flat area covered with Hummingbird sage.
It looks lovely year round.
The main bloom season for Hummingbird sage is in
the spring. It often begins in February
in local gardens (even January in a warm winter) and continues through March or
April. In the garden setting, plants will
often bloom sporadically from spring to fall depending on available moisture. But the main show is early to mid-spring and
it can be impressive!
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| Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) blooms. Note the nice contrast of flowers and foliage which is typical of this species |
Hummingbird sage is one of the showiest bloomers of
our native Salvias. The 2-3 ft tall flowering stalks contain
several whorls of flowers surrounding the stem.
The individual flowers are large (to 1 inch long), pink to magenta, and
shaped like a typical Mint flower. The
flowers have 5 fused petals and 5 fused sepals, giving them a bilateral
symmetry (two halves that are mirror images).
The bracts (fused sepals) are
usually a dark purple/magenta, contrasting nicely with the brighter
flowers.
The pollen-bearing stamens extend beyond the
petals. The pollinators (hummingbirds)
pick up the pollen on their heads and bodies as they reach deep within the
flowers to reach the nectar. Pollen is
then deposited, unintentionally, at the next flower. The long stamens, tubular shape and color of
the flowers all suggest a long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship between
hummingbirds and Salvia spathacea. Seed-eating birds enjoy the dried seeds.
Hummingbird sage is usually used as a groundcover,
often in partly shady areas under trees, on the north or east side of walls,
etc. It also can be grown on coastal
bluffs (tolerates salt spray) and is a good choice for slopes and banks in
general. We’ve grown it on a 24% grade
(fairly steep) where it does well, successfully binding soil and preventing
runoff. It is
striking alone when grown in broad swaths.
We also like to combine it with the Wood mints (Stachys species), Catalina perfume (Ribes viburnifolium), Yarrow (Achillea
millefolia) and even Berkeley sedge (Carex tumulicola). Under
California native oaks, consider planting it with Ribes species, the Snowberries (Symphoricarpos
species), native ferns, native honeysuckles (Lonicera species) and Fendler’s meadowrue (Thalictrum fendleri).
In western Los Angeles County, Hummingbird sage is
best with some shade except on the immediate coast. Dappled shade or morning sun is best for
plant health and abundant blooms. We’ve
grown this plant successfully in soils ranging from dense clays to very sandy –
it does fine in both extremes.
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| Hummingbird sage as a groundcover at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, California |
While actually quite drought tolerant once
established, hummingbird sage looks best with occasional summer water (Water
Zone 2). We water ours about once a
month from June to Sept. (our dry season), making sure that the ground is dry
at a depth of 4 inches before watering. Try
to water on a day that’s a bit overcast/cooler if possible – and water either
very early morning or in the evening. Some gardeners like to rinse off the leaves
occasionally in summer. The only other ‘management’ required is
removing the spent flower stalks, which can be done anytime from summer to
fall. Let the birds eat the seeds, then
prune off the stalks before they drive your tidy side crazy.
As mentioned above, Hummingbird sage leaves make
wonderful tea – probably the main use for this plant over the millennia. The tea can be used to make delicious jelly
or syrup. Native Californians also use
the tea for colds and sore throats and the plants do produce mild antimicrobial
chemicals. A warm bath with the leaves
is used for rheumatism and other joint pains.
You can chew on the leaves on a hot day to make you feel less
thirsty. And the flower stalks (even
dried) make a unique contribution to flower arrangements.
We hope you’ll consider Hummingbird sage if you need
a part-shade groundcover. This plant
provides a great deal of benefit from a single plant: hummingbird/bird habitat;
food & beverage; medicinal value; great beauty.
For a
gardening information sheet see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/gardening-sheet-salvia-spathacea
For more
pictures of this plant see: http://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/salvia-spathacea-web-show
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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