Red Hot Sally II is a compact, early-blooming salvia native to Brazil that brings season-long color to gardens in zones 4, 9. This cultivar matures in 60, 69 days and grows to a tidy 10, 12 inches tall, making it perfect for edging or massed plantings. The variety produces some of the most striking and vivid red blooms you can grow, with perfectly uniform plants that need minimal trimming to maintain their neat appearance throughout the growing season.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-9
12in H x ?in W
—
High
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These plants grow remarkably uniform and compact, arriving at full bloom earlier than many other salvias. The flowers are an exceptionally vivid red that commands attention from across the garden. Born from Brazil's year-round heat and humidity, Red Hot Sally II thrives in full sun and delivers reliable color from early summer through frost in most climates.
Red Hot Sally II is grown as an ornamental flower, valued for its ability to provide consistent color in borders, beds, and edging applications. The compact growth habit and uniform size make it especially useful for formal garden designs or mass plantings where repetition and neatness matter. In containers and window boxes, it offers season-long blooms without excessive maintenance.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6, 8 weeks before your last frost date. Salvia seeds germinate best in warm conditions around 70, 75°F. Press seeds lightly into moist seed-starting mix without covering them, as they need light to germinate. Keep soil consistently moist and expect germination in 10, 14 days.
Harden off seedlings over 7, 10 days before transplanting outdoors after your last frost date, when soil has warmed. Space transplants 10 inches apart. Choose a location with full sun exposure for best bloom production and most vivid color.
Red Hot Sally II's compact, uniform growth habit requires minimal pruning. Pinching back young plants once or twice before flowering encourages bushier growth, though this is optional given the cultivar's naturally neat form. Deadheading spent flower spikes extends bloom time but is not essential since the plant maintains its shape naturally.
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“Red Hot Sally II originates from Salvia splendens, a species native to Brazil where it evolved in hot, humid conditions. This cultivar represents decades of plant breeding aimed at creating a more compact, uniformly-sized salvia that blooms reliably and early in the season. The variety has been refined to deliver both consistency in plant size and the intense red coloration that makes salvias such dramatic garden performers.”