Flowering Sage
Scarlet Sage is a tender perennial native to Brazil that brings electric color to gardens from June through frost. Growing 12 to 24 inches tall, this clump-forming plant produces dense spikes of brilliant red, long-tubed flowers that practically glow in sunlight. Hardy in zones 10 and 11, it thrives as a warm-season annual in cooler climates, thriving in full sun to partial shade with moderate water and minimal maintenance. The dark green, serrated leaves create a striking backdrop for flowers that hummingbirds and butterflies cannot resist.
18-24 inches apart
Full Sun To Partial Shade
Moderate
10-11
24in H x 18in W
Annual
High
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Scarlet Sage blazes with color from summer straight through frost, its tubular red flowers held in dense, upright spikes that reach 2 inches long. The plant is remarkably low-maintenance and completely deer-resistant, making it reliable in gardens where wildlife pressure exists. Beyond the classic scarlet form, cultivars arrive in pink, blue, lavender, orange, white, and bicolor combinations, though the original red remains the showstopper that gives the plant its common name.
Scarlet Sage is grown primarily as an ornamental for its dramatic flower display. The showy blooms are valued for cutting and bringing indoors, where they last well with simple care (harvest in early morning, change water frequently with a drop of bleach to prolong vase life). In zones 10 and 11, it functions as a perennial garden plant; elsewhere, it serves as a striking warm-season annual for beds, borders, and containers.
Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. Sow seeds lightly covered on moist seed-starting mix. Germination occurs between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 to 15 days. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during germination.
After the last frost date has passed and seedlings have developed true leaves, harden them off by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant into beds or containers spaced 9 to 18 inches apart in average, well-drained soil.
For fresh-cut flowers, harvest in the morning when blooms are freshest and petals are just opening. Use a clean knife dipped in a 10 percent household bleach solution to make clean cuts. Place cut stems immediately in water with a few drops of bleach added to the vase to prolong their beauty.
Cut back plants as desired to maintain compact form and encourage bushier growth. In fall, if you plan to overwinter the plant indoors, cut it back moderately before potting up. If growing as a perennial in zones 10 and 11, light pruning after heavy bloom periods refreshes the plant and encourages continued flowering.
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“Salvia splendens originates from Brazil, where it evolved as a perennial in tropical climates. The species was brought into cultivation and eventually bred into the compact cultivars familiar to gardeners today. In temperate regions, growers adapted it as a tender annual, overwintering plants indoors by potting them up in fall or propagating cuttings in late summer to keep favorite colors alive year to year.”