# Hummingbird Sage (*salvia spathacea*) Hummingbird Sage is a colorful plant that attracts lots of hummingbirds with its bright purple flowers. It's a great plant for kids to learn about how plants help animals and nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Hummingbird Sage thrives in sunny areas like meadows and gardens. - **Also known as:** Desert Sage, Purple Sage ![Hummingbird Sage](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hummingbird_sage.jpg&width=800) Photo: Taken by Antandrus, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hummingbird_sage.jpg) ## Appearance The Hummingbird Sage has vibrant magenta-pink, tubular flowers that emerge from colorful bracts on upright stalks. Its large, crinkly, bright green leaves are aromatic and grow in a basal clump, often spreading to form a groundcover. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Lamiaceae - **Genus:** Salvia ## Interesting facts - Wow! Indigenous people used the plant's leaves for calming teas and to clean their hair, like shampoo! - Wow! Its bright flowers are shaped like perfect tiny straws, just right for a hummingbird's long beak! - Wow! The leaves smell like pineapple or fruit loops when you rub them, keeping nibbling animals away! - Wow! This plant grows super fast after a wildfire, quickly re-covering burned ground with fresh green leaves! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Beacon:** Hummingbird Sage can produce abundant nectar in its bright flowers that guide hummingbirds to a sweet treat. - **Drought Defender:** Hummingbird Sage has thick, fuzzy leaves that help it conserve precious water in dry environments. - **Spreading Groundcover:** Hummingbird Sage can spread using underground stems, creating a dense colony to prevent erosion. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late winter to late spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Bird ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) — sips nectar from flowers - **Pollinates:** [Allen's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/allens-hummingbird) (*Selasphorus sasin*) — feeds on its sweet nectar - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects pollen and nectar - **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — browses leaves (less preferred) ## Traits - [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbaceous): Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Hummingbird Sage? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Hummingbird Sage? 30-90 cm ### How wide does Hummingbird Sage spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on Hummingbird Sage? 2-3 cm ### When does Hummingbird Sage bloom? Late winter to late spring ### Is Hummingbird Sage edible? Yes ### Is Hummingbird Sage toxic? None ### What is Hummingbird Sage's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Desert Garden Conservatory](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/desert-garden-conservatory) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Gaviota State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gaviota-state-park) — California, US · State Park - [Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chumash-painted-cave-state-historic-park) — California, US · State Park - [Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mildred-e-mathias-botanical-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Old Borges Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-borges-ranch) — California, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Hummingbird Sage](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/hummingbird-sage) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Hummingbird Sage: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hummingbird-sage)