California Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea) is an herbaceous perennial that grows as an upright, slowly spreading groundcover.
Hummingbird Sage has large, light green leaves, which are aromatic, crinkled, and triangular. It is best known for its tall stalks that carry large, spiky whorls of fragrant, two-lipped flowers in a bold, rosy pink-red.
Hummingbird Sage is favored for its tolerance of dry shade and under oaks, with blooms in spring and summer. As the name suggests, it attracts hummingbirds, along with many other pollinators and beneficial insects.
Over time, it can spread via rhizomes to cover a large area, making it a popular groundcover plant.
Hummingbird Sage is drought tolerant and can survive without summer irrigation once established. Some supplemental water will keep the foliage green.
Salvia spathacea - Hummingbird Sage (Pitcher Sage)
Optimal Growth Conditions
- Mature Height: 1 - 3 feet tall
- Mature Width: 1 - 3 feet wide
- Sun: Deep Shade, Partial Shade
- Water: Very Low
- Soil Drainage: Medium
Geographic Appropriateness
- USDA Zone: Zones 8 - 10
- Sunset Zone: Zones 5, 7 - 9, 14 - 24
- Native Sites: Dry shady areas, primarily near the coast in a variety of habitats. On the coast, it may be found in coastal strand or chaparral. Inland and at slightly higher elevation, it occurs in oak woodland and other woodland types.
Additional Landscaping Information- Characteristics: California Native, Flowering, Evergreen, Drought Tolerant, Fragrant, Spreading
- Special Uses: Containers, Deer resistant, Groundcover