Date: 6/25/26 10:16 pm From: Nancy L Newfield via groups.io <nancy...> Subject: Re: [labird] For Hummer Gardeners
Paul, Paul, et Labird,
Though I have diversified a bit, *Salvia*s are still at the top of my list
of obsessions. I was given 2 'Amistad' plants very soon after it was
introduced and I still have both of them after more than 10 years. No
garden stays exactly the same over years of passion then neglect, changing
tastes, and physical abilities. Dennis brought light into the study of
nectar values and I have really enjoyed exploring though new cultivars have
become much more difficult to find. Plus, there is little undedicated space
for growing.
*Salvia *'Amistad' - 2 flowers yielded about 25 µL of 26.8+% nectar.
*Salvia* 'Phyllis's Fancy' - 4 flowers yielded about 18 µL of 32+% nectar.
*Salvia coccinea* 'Vermilion' - 5 flowers yielded about 10 µL of 30.4 %
nectar.
Over the years, I've accrued 10+ single-spaced pages of data.
I've never had *Salvia carnea, *but would surely like to give it a try.
Has anybody tried *Salvia* SUNKISS 'Berry Blast'?
Titanium Nan
On Thu, Jun 25, 2026 at 4:38 PM Paul Dickson via groups.io <paul=
<morrisdickson.com...> wrote:
> Paul,
> All of the salvias fall in the 24-26% range unevaporated. Amistad is good
> I agree. I think preference is caused by more than one factor. The taller
> plants with flowers presented high above the ground and in an airy broad
> spread as Amistad does is a preferred, perhaps providing a safety benefit.
> Another is probably nectar volume per bloom.
> Paul
> On Jun 25, 2026, at 12:48 PM, Paul Conover via groups.io <zoiseaux=
> <lusfiber.net...> wrote:
>
> Bill, Nancy, Paul, Dennis, Labird,
>
> In terms of Salvia, I have the following questions and observations.
>
> What is the nectar content of Amistad? I got Amistad from Nancy a few
> years back, and in terms of garden performance, it has no peers--not
> even close. The original from Nancy is still brawling despite droughts
> and heat waves, 4 degree freezes, flooding rains, changes in sun and
> shade ratios, and everything else nature has thrown at it. It blooms
> over the entire growing season, shoots backs within days of a freeze,
> and even tiny three inch long soft tip cuttings start to make bloom
> heads before the cutting even begins rooting. It is a freak. The high
> number of blooms probably makes it a wash even if sugar %age is low, but
> I'd love to know how sweet it is.
>
> Another Salvia I got from Nancy is Phyllis's Fancy, which Nancy and
> David Muth gave high praise to. It grew well in my front yard for
> several years without a single bloom until a volunteer crepe myrtle gave
> a corner of it a bit of shade from the LED streetlight. When that shady
> corner started making making blooms, my opinion of the plant improved
> dramatically. I now have copies of it in the dark backyard where it is a
> reliable bloomer and hummer attractor.
>
> One that I only know from my yard is S. carnea, which I either got from
> Flowers By The Sea, Almost Eden, or a weird guerilla mail order service
> I once stumbled onto. It grows well, tall, makes a rounded bush, has
> healthy heart-shaped leaves, and blooms in the fall. The blooms tumble
> down in grape-cluster like groups, with lavenderish-colored petals. The
> flowers are probably about the size of coccinea flowers. In high bloom,
> it's pretty stunning. It's easy to root with a little care.
>
> In all, I've tried probably 50 Salvia species or varieties in the yard.
> Some fared poorly from the start, some did OK for a while, and some are
> so resilient and useful that they hang in year after year. These are the
> ones I make copies of. The winners that come to mind in terms of hummer
> plants have been the three above, plus mexicana varieties, Forsythia
> sage, involucrata, Indigo Spires, and Purple Haze. The only effort I
> have to put into them is rooting them to make the garden bigger.
>
> Peace and Love
>
> Paul Conover
>
>
> On 5/20/26 11:21 AM, Bill Fontenot via groups.io<http://groups.io> wrote:
> > 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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--
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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
<nancy...>
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