Hi there SF guy, and welcome to gardening and Gardenweb.

Your first plant is some sort of sage, I believe, but someone else will fill you in on details. Looks like hummers will love it. They like red flowers with tubes.

I think plant #3 is Borage, an herb. It reseeds and can become a weed.

Plant #4 is Crocosmia, and it's a fine drought-tolerant bulb that will attract the hummers. If it dies back in the heat of summer don't worry- just trim back the dead foliage and in spring it will return and flower. It does not like to be wet or the bulbs rot.

Renee

1: Salvias gregii; the only California native in your set
2: Forget me not; self sows as a pretty weed, not native
3: Borage; another weedy self sowing herb with pretty flowers
4: Chasmanthe aethiopica: a South African bulb which has naturalized here, survives on rainfall alone and goes deciduous in summer, it is attractive to Hummers
5: Plum tree, another plant that has naturalized here and can survive on winter rainfall alone, birds and people like the fruit.

Your garden photos are all plants that can grow with absolutely no care on your part, but are seasonal winter growers into spring for the weeds. They are quite a few natives that are attractive to hummingbirds, but even more flowering plants from South America with showy flowers that are even more attractive to hummingbirds such as Abutilons, Iochromas, Fuchsias such h as F. boliviana and F. paniculata, Cantua buxifolia, Cupheas, etc. California natives to look for would include some of the Ribes species, Zauschnerias, some Penstemons to name a few. Pick up a copy of the Sunset Western Garden book for more information on gardening in the SF Bay Area and your zone 17 climate. Annie's Annuals Nursery also has a great web site with info on natives and hummingbird attracting plants on her web site, and the nursery in Richmond, California is well worth a visit.

Finally, they have names!

Thanks Renee and Bahia for your ID help, and for the fantastic suggestions -- will definitely look into the other plants mentioned. I may not limit myself to california natives after all (that limitation wasn't based on any personal principles, but just to keep my newbie fervor in check and keep my garden from becoming a ridiculous hodgepodge of everything -- I still insist on the drought tolerant part though since I'm kinda lazy).

With your climate, you should have no trouble growing drought tolerant plants! Also, if you're ok with it, I'd venture into plants native to areas with similar climates. There are tons of plants native to South Africa, Australia, the Mediterranean and Chile that are drought tolerant and attract humming birds.

One thing with hummers is that they're highly territorial, so it's likely that if one takes residence near your yard, it will ward off any others that may come too close!

Good luck!

Josh

Hummers love Aloe flowers, and since many Aloes (not all) bloom in the winter when many Salvias do not, they are really good. Salvias are very good. I have one called S. discolor that blooms year round, so there are hummers year round fighting over it. It's very drought-tolerant. Try to achieve year-round bloom and you will have year-round hummers.

Blueberries, the hummers love blueberry flowers, and people love blueberries. Blueberries like water, though.

The first photo is a hot lips salvia. The flowers are red or red and white depending on the temperature. A variety of salvias and sages, cuphea, monkeyflower, and other plants with tubular flowers will attract hummingbirds. They also like California fushia. They are all drought tolerant after being established. Not all natives grow well in all areas of California, but the Sunset guide should ehlp you identify what will do well up north.

Here is a link that might be useful: drought toleranat plants

I have to agree that photo 1 is hot lips saliva aka salvia microphylla and not a greggii. Greggii leaves are more narrow and more pointed. But it really doesn't matter as the care is the same. I have 3 greggii and 2 hotlips and I prefer the hotlips and they look better in winter.
As Josh said you don't have to go completely CA native there are plenty other drought tolerant plants that hummers love.
Cape honeysuckle will give you blooms in winter and spring.
I have several Lavatera and hummers like them also.
Another hummer magnet is bottlebrush. Either the weeping tree or the dwarf callistemon 'little john'.
Put in some freesias and their scent is nice, hummers like them also.
I also see hummers around my ceanothus...which is very surprising. But I think they use them as the 'guard towers' for the feeder.

Here's a sample shot of one of my small drought tolerant gardens. This area is West of the house, and is shaded by a large honey locust tree so it is shaded most of the day. I have an array of various drought tolerant plants, both native and non-native. There is a family of 3 hummers that frequent this spot daily. They love the aloe flowers and the salvia gregii. If you look closely, you will also see an orange monkey flower shrublet as well that attracts the hummers. Other plants here that are more hidden are the Australian native Emu Bush (Eremophila), echeverias and a Howard McMinn Manzanita (CA native). The grasses provide interest and also provide a habitat for all types of birds from finches to bluejays and doves that like to forage in the grasses for seeds.

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If you're looking to attract other nectar feeding birds, aloes do a great job of attracting Orioles! :D I believe these are Northern Orioles. They frequent these aloe flowers daily.

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Thanks for the photos CentralCali. I went to the Halfmoon Bay Nursery today and in their succulents greenhouse I saw a hummingbird drinking out of a flower, so I ran over to investigate and I believe the plant was the same kind of Aloe that you have in your bottom pic. I would have bought one but the leaves were less than perfect and I'm funny about things like that.

I saw your photo of the cantua buxifolia! Great plant! The aloe will be such a fast grower, you won't even know there was any damage to the leaves in just a few months.

If you'd like any small pups of these and a variety of other aloes, send me an email! I can send you an assortment of aloes if you pay for postage.

Josh