All three are perfectly servicable as hummingbird plants. The latter two I've tried. San Carlos Festival is not red. Up here in New Jersey microphylla doesn't need shade but they might need some in your area. Growers from Texas would know better than me. Salvia coccinea Coral Nymph is considered an annual, microphylla isn't. With a little luck any of the above should be hardy for you. They will make seedlings, and the seedlings will probably be different from the parents. You might also want to look at microphylla's sister species greggii. It should do well for you too.

S. regla is good and I think that under trees ( Plant delights rates it a 7b and possibly colder ) it might be protected enough for you up in OKC. It does like a bit of shade and bit of sun. The hummers go for it and NOTHING else when it is in bloom in my garden.I do have seed is you are willing to chance it. S. darcyi will definitely do alright there. It grows well in New Mexico zone 6 or so a friend tells me but Plant Delights rates it as a 7-10. Mulch it and I bet it will do alright. S Coccinea comes in red and will set seed easily. I have that in my garden and it comes back weather I want it or not.

Even though coccinea is an annual here it reseeds readily every year I have self seeders pop up especially lady in red. I would think some of the Sal. greggi would do well for you some of which are hardy here, but still a work in progress for me.

Susan:
Try S.greggii x "Cherry Queen" it will be very reliable
for you .
Another S.coccinea "Forest Fire" is a nice
selection red orange flowers w/ a black calyx.
Art

For self-seeding, you could try Salvia subrotunda, it comes up everywhere!

Salvia 'Black Cherry' does well for me. http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/84794/

It's not fire engine red like furman's. Next to furman's red it looks a little red-violet.

Steve, at what point in spring should I expect lady in red to begin sprouting in my garden?

Wow! You guys are great! I am so inspired now to grow more salvias. I esoecially am interested in growing species reds cuz they will come true to seed.

Another concern I have is wind tolerance. Anyone from Oklahoma would say that we have wind extremes, just like the song lyrics say, "Oklahoma...where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain"!

All that you mention sound gorgeous! I didn't think the greggii's would be hardy here and wasn't sure about self-sowing seed or not. I am always concerned about seedlings resulting from hybrids coming true, but 'Coral Nymph' has never been a problem and the Cloudless Sulphurs and Orange Sulphurs love, love, love it!

Steve, good to see you here since the hummers are gone for the year now. Mine just up and disappeared one day and now I will wait for their return in spring.....sigh.

I grow a lot of native plants for the butterflies. Are there any Salvias native to the US?

Susan

The Salvias native to the US are:
S.greggii(Red White and Pink forms),S.regla,S.roemeriana,S.coccinea,microphylla(Graham's & Lemmon's ),henryi,summa
Blue flowered S,azurea,S.farinacea,S.lyrata,S.lycioides,
reflexa,reptans,arizonica,Plus all the Calfornia Salvias
S.clevelandii,S.mellifera,S.columbariae,spathacea and more.
Art

OH god, don't get this crew listing salvias. That's one of their favored pastimes.(LOL) Those Californians have us all beat when it comes to Salvias.

Here is a link that might be useful: Californian salvias

hawkeye

Actually I have LIR popup thruout late spring and early summer and beyond. I have not had as much luck with self seeders of subrotunda as some have mentioned on here. You could also try some controlled seeding such as wintersowing seeds outside. There is a forum on here telling you exactly how to do it. Then you just forget them till they sprout in the spring. I have done it , it works . Also I have extra seeds of LIR and surotunda if you would like to try that,, just email me. Here is the original article I learned from and first started doing it from. I think the person just reposts it every year. Read the entire article. Maybe the most important thing to remember is to vent your container so the seeds dont cook in the sun ruining your efforts. Also you might want to label so you dont forget what you have if you do more than one kind of seed.

Here is a link that might be useful: wintersowing

Thanks, Steve. I collected a bunch of seed from my plants in September. My current plan is to sow at least a few LIR seeds inside no later than March 1st because I'd like to have blooms available in a patio pot for the hummers when they arrive in early to mid May. I'm not sure how I'll start the garden batch. I'll take a look at the winter sowing.

Thanks, Steve! I am sending e-mails to those of you who offered seed - how unexpectedly great you all are and I have recommended this forum to my buddies on the Butterfly gardening forum. Would love to try the S. regla and Lady in Red. Is anyone familiar with 'Yvonne's Salvia'?

Sorry to be so late in responding but holiday times are hectic here.

I have wintersown a lot with great success, and that will be my method. I may have seed of Yvonne's Salvia and may try to see if it will still germinate after 2 years storage. Forgot about that until now.

The Salvia list is narrowd to:

S. microphylla 'Red Velvet'
S. greggii 'Cherry Queen'
S. miniata (has been hardy to zone 6b in Oklahoma) (check out Bustani Plant Farm)
S. darcyi (also hardy in OK)
S. regla
S. coccinea 'LIR'

This should give me a nice variety of species/hybrids to check out how well they do for me in my growing conditions.

I decided to forego the white salvia because I just planted a Buddleia White Profusion this fall and my friend in Tulsa says it will attract the moths as well as the butterflies.

On another note, I am going to try S. verticillata 'Purple Rain' again. There is something that draws me to this Salvia because of the unique purple of the blooms and the foliage as well. I had it for a couple of years but it died on me as well as May Night (which I wasn't nearly as fond of). I have to learn to curb my addiction to watering.

Thanks and I will e-mail Steve and Wantonomara.

Susan