Date: 6/26/26 6:48 am From: Nancy L Newfield via groups.io <nancy...> Subject: Re: [labird] For Hummer Gardeners
Guys,
I should mention that seeds and/or cuttings can be made readily available
for 'share' of anything I grow. Come and get 'em by 'appointment only'.
Titanium Nan
On Fri, Jun 26, 2026 at 12:16 AM Nancy L Newfield via groups.io <nancy=
<casacolibri.net...> wrote:
> 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Nancy L Newfield
> Casa Colibrí
> Metairie, Louisiana USA
> <nancy...>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
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--
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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
<nancy...>
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