Summer Jewels Pink Salvia is a compact, early-blooming variety of Salvia coccinea that earned the 2012 All-America Selections Award for its exceptional performance as a bedding plant. Its delicate half-inch pink flowers, densely packed along upright spikes, resemble tiny ballerina slippers and bloom nearly two weeks ahead of other salvia varieties. Growing just 18 inches tall and thriving in full sun across USDA zones 8-10, this heirloom cultivar reaches flowering in just 50 days, making it one of the fastest salvias to establish a colorful display. It's a reliable annual that draws butterflies and hummingbirds throughout the growing season.
Full Sun
Moderate
8-10
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High
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This is a salvia that performs like a champion before most of its cousins even break dormancy. The densely packed flower spikes are genuinely striking, with those peculiar pink blooms that really do look like tiny ballet dancers in formation. At just 18 inches tall, it fits seamlessly into containers, borders, and small garden spaces without becoming leggy or overgrown. The early-flowering habit and award-winning status reflect years of selection for reliability and garden impact.
Summer Jewels Pink Salvia is grown purely for its ornamental value and its role in attracting pollinators. Plant it in borders where its compact form and early flowers create early-season color impact, in containers on patios and porches, and throughout mixed beds alongside other sun-loving perennials and annuals. The dense flower spikes make it excellent as a cut flower for small arrangements, and its appeal to butterflies and hummingbirds makes it a natural choice for wildlife gardens seeking native or native-supporting plants.
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Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds on the soil surface or just barely press them in, as they need light to germinate. Maintain soil temperature between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit; germination occurs within 10-30 days. Keep soil moist but not waterlogged during germination.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date once soil has warmed and nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before planting. Space plants 12 inches apart in full sun.
Pinch back the growing tips when seedlings are 3-4 inches tall to encourage branching and a more compact, bushier shape. Deadhead spent flower spikes regularly throughout the season to promote continuous blooming and maintain the plant's tidy appearance.
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“Summer Jewels Pink Salvia earned recognition as an All-America Selections Award winner in 2012, a distinction given to outstanding ornamental plants that perform consistently across diverse growing regions. This heirloom cultivar represents deliberate breeding within the Salvia coccinea species to achieve compact growth, early flowering, and the characteristic pink color that makes it visually distinctive. The variety's development reflects a broader movement in ornamental plant breeding toward earlier bloom times and reliable garden performance, qualities that home gardeners consistently demand.”