As a comment about Scarlet Sage (Salvia splendens 'St. John's Fire'), ILPARW wrote:

I have planted this very dwarf cultivar or a similar cultivar of Scarlet Sage a few times in pots on my back deck to make the Ruby-throated Hummingbird happy for a nectar source. She looks at it, but does not do anything with it. She does love the Black & Blue Anise-flowered Sage a lot and also the orange flowered Cigar-Plant Cuphea. I remember how Hummingbirds just adored the larger cultivars of Scarlet Sage decades ago that were anywhere from 18 to 36 inches high. I don't know why the gardening public decided to just go for these dwarf cultivars. The bigger plants look better and are much more glorious. This species should never be grown under 18 inches high. These new dwarf cultivars seem to have a different flower structure in them that may be inhibiting the hummingbirds. I don't think I have seen any kind of bee interested in this either. Otherwise, it is a pretty little plant, but I want bigger.
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Jun 28, 2020 10:32 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Rick Webb
southeast Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)
I just posted about the same thing concerning the similar and newer cultivars of the Vista Series that are the same size that the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds don't like. Let's get back the larger cultivars as 'Firebrand, Bonfire, America (Globe of Fire), and Splendens Tall.
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  • Started by: ILPARW
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