Adele’s backyard has a plant that doubles as a hummingbird magnet – and master gardeners adore its sweet scent

This vibrant red-blooming plant adds fragrance, beauty, and a steady food source for visiting hummingbirds in any-sized yard

Adele
(Image credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage via GettyImages)

It's certainly not common to find features in a celebrity yard that are entirely replicable in our gardens, especially when working with an ultra-compact space (as in my case, for example). However, in Adele's case, her perennial planting, specifically her pineapple sage, translates to gardens of every size – and it comes with a master gardener's approval.

Pineapple sage (also known as Salvia elegans) is a type of salvia in the mint family, known for its bright red tubular flowers and fragrant leaves that smell like pineapple, meaning it's as aesthetically pleasing as it is sensory. Native to Mexico and Central America, it attracts butterflies, pollinators, and hummingbirds – the latter of which is a favorite of our in-house gardener, Thom Rutter.

While we don't know if Adele planted her pineapple sage to attract hummingbirds to her garden, one thing is undoubtedly clear: It adds an organic beauty to her yard, and no doubt fills her exterior space with a scent that's hard to rival.

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'I often encourage people to add pineapple sage to their backyards because it brings such an unexpected delight to even the smallest of spaces (since we can’t all live like Adele, after all),' Thom comments. Adele's display is stunning, but you only need a small patch to plant, and they'll impress for months.

'The leaves release a sweet, fruity fragrance, more like ripe pineapple than any herb you’d expect to find in a garden. Later in the season, when many other plants are fading, pineapple sage bursts into scarlet blooms. These flowers are especially rich in nectar, and hummingbirds flock to them, often visiting repeatedly throughout the day. In fact, it’s one of the most reliable late-season food sources you can provide for them,' Thom says.

Between its perfume, its beauty, and its ability to draw pollinators right up to your patio, pineapple sage turns an ordinary garden into a true sensory experience. Whether you want to attract hummingbirds or simply enjoy a natural scent in the fall, this Adele-inspired planting is the solution. Will you be joining me in planting?


Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens, where she leads the celebrity/ news team. She has a history in interior design, travel, and news journalism, having lived and worked in New York, Paris, and, currently, London. Megan has bylines in Livingetc, The Telegraph, and IRK Magazine, and has interviewed the likes of Drew Barrymore, Ayesha Curry, Michelle Keegan, and Tan France, among others. She lives in a London apartment with her antique typewriter and an eclectic espresso cup collection, and dreams of a Kelly Wearstler-designed home.

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