Date: 6/7/26 12:33 pm From: Paul Dickson via groups.io <paul...> Subject: Re: [labird] For Hummer Gardeners
This sounds like a humnet revival. I sure hope so.
I have the stoloniferous, actually tuberiferous, species as well. I also have planted all of the recent well marketed hybrids with a variety of trade names borrowing from the Roman Empire to Elvis. The new hybrids are beautiful and strong plants that are easy to grow. The flowers hold for days. Hummingbirds are not so impressed as garden consumers are. They produce standard salvia nectar which is 26% unless sun evaporated to higher values. I suspect that the reason I see the hummers using the species and older hybrids more is because of length of time the new hybrids hold their blooms, perhaps longer than they produce nectar. I am a Demcheck nectar student too and still add to my 20 year old spreadsheet which has been through a lot versions of excel by now. Sometimes when I stick a glass pipette into the new hybrids, I get nothing. I always get 10 microliters or more from the species so long as I’m not behind a hummingbird. (Yes, it is possible to get ahead of a hummingbird.) So what Bill is offering out is the good stuff, as usual.
Paul Dickson
From: <labird...> <labird...> On Behalf Of Nancy L Newfield via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2026 10:07 AM
To: <williamrodneyfontenot...>
Cc: Labird <labird...>
Subject: Re: [labird] For Hummer Gardeners
Bill,
I've grown this plant since the early 1980s and when you offered, I was
tempted because I thought that I had lost my original stock. HOWEVER, I
just noticed one blooming in one of my less tended garden areas. My
original plant came from the late Rich Dufresne.
Dennis's nectar study fascinated me, so I 'borrowed' the concept and have
compiled about 10 single-spaced pages of data.
> I’ve got the old-school cultivar of anise sage (Salvia guaranitica) for
> anyone who would like some. Just contact me via email and let me know when
> you’ll be around. This cultivar (might actually be the straight species)
> blooms all spring and summer into the fall. It grows 30-36” tall. This one
> runs via stolons to form sizable colonies (up to 10-12’ if allowed).
>
> Years ago Dennis Demchek did a sugar content study of all LA hummer
> plants. At 30% sugar content, anise sage blew away all other plants — most
> of which ranged between 12-20%.!Drought and flood tolerant, blooms nicely
> in sun or shade, and completely winter-hardy up through zone 6.
>
> Bill Fontenot
> 500 Saint Catherine St.
> Lafayette, LA 70506
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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
<nancy...><mailto:<nancy...> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
