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Salvia Sage for Hummingbirds

You may consider planting Salvia Sage for hummingbirds.

When we first planted Salvia in our hummingbird garden, hummingbirds were attracted to the Salvia flowers within minutes after planting. 

There are both annual and perennial varieties in many colors and can be another addition to your hummingbird garden.

It is the largest genus of the mint family.

Red Salvia Flower

As there are many flowers frequented by hummingbirds, let me describe the salvia to help you decide if it is the best flower for your garden.

There are more than 700 species both annual and perennial.

They are lovely spikes of flowers, tubular in shape and range in size from
10 inches to 60 inches tall.

The bright red salvia is best for hummingbirds but we have seen them visiting other colors often such as the purple salvia and mixed salvia.

All Salvia Sage has a high nectar count needed by hummingbirds.

So, planting any variety of Salvia Sage for hummingbirds will supply their needed nectar.

Hummingbirds do not have a sense of smell but are attracted to bright colors especially red.

I chose to plant the red 10” annual as a border around my hummingbird flower garden.

I don’t usually plant annuals but Salvia is one of my exceptions becoming convinced the first year.

No sooner had I planted the beautiful blooms when they were almost immediately visited by my hummingbirds.

Care of Salvia Sage for Hummingbirds

How to grow annual Salvia

  1. Consider timing. Plant after the last frost.
  2. Consider sun requirements: Plant in full sun. (Note: They do make great border plants)
  3. Consider soil requirements: Plant in well-drained soil.
  4. Add mulch or weed regularly.
  5. Think about water requirements: Keep the soil moist.
  6. Disease is generally not a problem with this plant.
Rose Salvia Flower

How to grow perennial Salvia

Follow directions above for annual Salvia with these exceptions:

  1. Consider location more carefully. Remember that the plants will return year after year.
  2. Consider that these blooms are heavy seeders. You should deadhead the plants by removing the spent flowers. This improves the appearance of your garden. It also prevents plants from spreading to other areas the following year.
  3. Another option is to divide the plants the following spring. This is a matter of choice. If you love these flowers, you might not mind having more of them. Of course, the hummingbirds won’t mind at all.

    4. Happy gardening for hummingbirds!!

From Our Flower Shop:

Rose Salvia Flower
Rose Marvel Salvia

Rose Marvel Salvia

Vibrant little cutie with incredibly large flower spikes, the Rose Marvel Salvia (Salvia nemorosa 'Rose Marvel') is a vivid bottlebrush flower on a tough little perennial! Featuring highly-saturated bright rose-pink petals on darker violet-pink wands, your plant will be covered from spring until summer in dramatic upswept spires that last and last!

The herbal fragrance of the gray-green rounded mounds are filled with textured foliage. The vivid blooms hold their color through the heat and humidity and like others in the Salvia family, these easy-to-grow perennials attract swarms of butterflies and Hummingbirds, the flowering starts in spring and lasts all summer with attentive deadheading!

Larger than most others in the Salvia family, you are guaranteed swarms of both native bees and honeybees to arrive for the nectar-rich blooms and keep coming back for more! Rose Marvel Salvia is not difficult to grow, and this perennial Salvia is additionally incredibly heat and cold-tolerant throughout USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9! Creating upright blooming mounds that grow into a space-saving 10-12 inches in height and width!


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Hummingbird Attracting Flowers to Buy!