![]() Just be flexible and positive when talking to people about using native plants. We are not able to recreate what was originally here on these tiny plots we can only enhance our gardens with the best plants for both people and wildlife. Utilizing natives, both local and regional, along with other pollinator, bird and wildlife friendly plants and landscapes, is the best approach for the average home garden. The only way to get more people onboard is to integrate what we can into the landscape. Many of the plants that we all enjoy and use in our native plant gardens are not local, as they are not widely available in the trade and are very limited in scope. Quotes du Jour I’ve found that people get very annoyed when native plant people proselytize ONLY local native plants. Pour very hot (just below boiling) water over the leaves and let them steep to your taste. Tear or cut the leaf or leaves and place them in a cup or heat-proof container. Start with one 3-4 inch leaf of hummingbird sage per cup of tea. The tea can be made from the fresh or the dried leaves, but using non-metal pots, cups and utensils is recommended. Hummingbird Sage Tea A cup of tea would be a good match with some hummingbird sage shortbread ! Here is a recipe for hummingbird sage tea, adapted from Mother Nature’s Backyard. While still warm, score the shortbread into serving-sized squares. Sprinkle with extra white sugar, if desired.īake at 325 º for 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned. Press the dough evenly into a 9”x9” baking pan. ![]() Stir this mixture into the butter mixture in 3-4 portions, until the dough holds together in a ball. Stir together the flour, salt and reserved sage leaves. Set aside.Ĭream together the butter and the two sugars. Chop them into small mince (about 2 loose tablespoons-ful). With Susan’s permission, I have made a few minor adaptations in the recipe.ĥ medium-large fresh hummingbird sage ( Salvia spathacea) leavesġ2 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature ![]() She cautions that “sage is not commonly considered to be a plant that people are allergic to, but be safe” individuals vary in allergy sensitivities, and I have one acquaintance who just seems to dislike the aroma of the sages. spathacea as a sweeter and less pungent species of sage. Hummingbird Sage Shortbread Many thanks to Susan Krzywicki, a landscap designer and consultant in San Diego, for contributing this interesting snack recipe ! I have made it several times. After flowering, it should be dead-headed to favor new growth. Competition with other plants keeps it from spreading out of control, and the rhizomes are easy to dig up and can be used to start another colony someplace else. It is drought tolerant, altho like many native plants, a little moisture once or twice a month keeps it looking good during the dry season. Hummingbird sage grows well in dry shade or dappled sunlight, especially in the understory of oak trees. Its pleasant scent makes it an interesting and novel addition to hummingbird sage shortbread, the recipe for which follows in this article. The fruity aroma of hummingbird sage has been likened to that of pineapple sage. While being highly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, the sages are not bothered by deer and rabbits, probably due to the pungent aroma of their leaves. The name Salvia comes from the Latin word salvare, “to save”, based on its use from ancient times for its herbal and medicinal qualities. Aside from this difference in color and habit, the sage family ( Lamiaceae or Labiatae, the mint family) has a wide array of forms, shapes and foliage. Hummingbird sage is also unique in that it behaves like a ground cover, rather than a shrub, spreading underground from rhizomes and forming dense colonies of low foliage with flowering stalks 1-3 feet tall. Hummingbird sage ( Salvia spathacea) is the exception – it is the only native sage with red flowers. Most native sages have blue, purple or white blossoms.
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