perennial
Hummingbird sage
Salvia spathacea
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 8–10, Hummingbird sage is an evergreen perennial. Expect 1–2.5 ft of height and 2–3 ft of spread; our lists space it 2 ft apart. It does best in part sun to shade with little water once established. Expect pink flowers in March to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. It is native to California. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Mid-Atlantic, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Salvia spathacea
- Plant type
- Perennial, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 10
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained soil; spreads by rhizomes in dry shade.
- Mature size
- 1–2.5 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Mar–May · pink
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- natural, low water
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Salvias are not on the ASPCA toxic list.
- Native to
- California
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $12–$20 (specialist nurseries)
- Plant in
- Fall
- First-year watering
- Water every 1–2 weeks in the first dry season; afterwards little or no summer water.
- Pruning
- Cut spent flower stalks; trim dead leaves in fall.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Hummingbird sage, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Island alum rootHeuchera maximaperennial · zones 8–10
- Bamboo muhlyMuhlenbergia dumosaornamental grass · zones 9–11
- Western sword fernPolystichum munitumfern · zones 5–9
- ToyonHeteromeles arbutifoliashrub · zones 8–11
- Mexican honeysuckleJusticia spicigeraperennial · zones 9–11
- FirebushHamelia patensshrub · zones 9–11
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Hummingbird sage: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants