Pineapple sage

[Claire]

I bought this plant to add to my (great! if I do say so myself) herb garden. I used it a little in cooking, didn't think much of the flavor, and was not planning to grow it again. Then fall came and it sprouted lovely little red flowers that the hummingbirds just love. I spent Saturday morning just sitting and watching the hummingbirds. Needless to say, if it does not survive the winter, I'll plant another.

 

[quicksilver]

I love those pleasant, unexpected surprises. What about using the leaves for decoration like they do with pansies, and geraniums, on cakes and in salads.

 

[LibraryLady]

I luurrve the way it attracts the hummingbirds. Sadly up here in the NW our winters are so mild, it doesn't die back and some of us consider it a bit problematic, spreads easily and can be hard to kill. I grow it only in containers. Here's hoping it dies back for you - your winters are quite a bit colder out there.

I agree there's not much to the flavor - but the smell is lovely and if you put it somewhere you can brush by it, then it makes the garden smell that much better!

LL

 

[Constance]

Pineapple Sage is an ornamental herb, and a tender perennial. It doesn't winter over here in southern Illinois, but you can root some cuttings and pot them up for your windowsill garden if you have room.
Those little red blooms sure smell sweet! No wonder the hummingbirds like them!

 

[africhef]

Pineapple sage and lemon balm are great tasting in iced tea

 

[QSis]

Thanks for the tip, Claire!

I've been unsuccessfully trying to attract hummingbirds to my yard for 20 years. I've tried just about everything but pineapple sage!

Lee

 

[JohnL]

I planted it last year,
But sadly it didn't survive. I'd love to see the red blooms though. Maybe I'll try again next year.

 

[Claire]

QSis, I buy big hanging baskets of the brightest fuschia colored "wave petunias" in the spring, and the hummingbirds love them for the first part of the summer. They must lose some of their taste/smell whatever, and usually, even though they're still blooming like crazy, they stop attracting hummingbirds. So I was delighted with the surprise of the pineapple sage flowers. If it doesn't come back in the spring, I'll just buy another one (my regular sage does come back every year, but I don't even see how they're related!). I live in NW IL. John, we had a very wet year, and not very hot, maybe that's what the pineapple sage needs.