Hummingbird Trumpet Mint

One of the many joys of gardening is to find interesting ways to fill the gaps and spaces between your plants and landscape features with color and texture.  Our staff at Fort Collins Nursery has many fun recommendations for you including the moderate perennial spreader, Monaredella macrantha ‘Marian Sampson,’ otherwise known as Hummingbird Trumpet Mint.

Hummingbird Trumpet Mint is an intensely aromatic perennial herb that forms clusters of stunning scarlet-orange trumpet flowers. These brilliant, tubular flowers offer non-stop color from late spring clear through to frost.  As its common name suggests, hummingbird trumpet mint is an excellent attractor for hummingbirds that feed on its sweet nectar throughout the summer.

A native to the higher mountainous regions of California, it has excellent adaptability at different elevations and does well in our local environment. So well in fact, it was chosen by Plant Select® in 2014 as a featured selection for our area. It is drought tolerant but does best in locations with some protection from the heat of the summer sun. It may require winter protection in some areas as well.

Hummingbird trumpet mint is a moderate spreader and can be used as a ground cover. Where it really shows off best though is hanging and cascading down rocks and ledges.  Plant some behind a rock or along the rim of a container and let it spill over the edges in stunning fashion!

  • Height: 4-6”
  • Width: 8-12”
  • Water: Moderate to low
  • Bloom: Scarlet-Orange/ Late Spring – Summer
  • Zones: 5b-9

Originally published on April 4th, 2018. Updated on September 5th, 2019.