Sage: Scarlet (Salvia coccinea)
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Closely related to the Red Salvia, this wildflower is somewhat less formal, and tends to look most becoming in natural wild gardens. The spikes of the fire-engine red flowers add great color and interest to a meadow, while attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. This carefree annual is the only native sage to have red flowers!
Scientific Name: Salvia coccinea
Also Known As: Scarlet Salvia, Blood Sage, Red Texas Sage
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Perennial/Annual
Maturity (Bloom): July to October
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Sage is a hardy plant and can take cold temperatures but does not do very well in extremely cold climates.
Crops: Spring Transplant, Spring
Growing Season: Long
Growing Conditions: Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot. Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 55°F - 90°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Full sun to part shade: min. 6 hours daily (Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot). This Mediterranean herb loves full sun, though in very hot climates it will also grow in partial shade.
Water: Medium. Sage is a very drought tolerant plant and is probably more often harmed by too much water, rather than too little. In very dry areas it will be more productive if watered occasionally.
Feeder: Light. Sage will grow in any well-drained soil, it doesn't need to be very fertile.
Suitability: Drought tolerant, Tolerates light frost, High heat
Small Gardens?: Yes
Containers?: Yes. Sage is an excellent candidate for container growing. Choose a pot that is a minimum of 8" deep and 8" in diameter. Make sure that there is at least one drainage hole in your container. Fill with potting soil and fertilize with compost. Water thoroughly and place in a sunny location. Water again when the soil gets dry.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Maintenance: Low
Height: 12-24"
Spacing: 12-15"
Sowing Depth: Just below the surface.
Produces: broad, textured, downy green leaves and spikes of purple flowers.
USDA Grow Zone: Annual: 3-9
Perennial: 10-11
Garden Uses: Mixed borders, beds.
Also Known As: Scarlet Salvia, Blood Sage, Red Texas Sage
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Perennial/Annual
Maturity (Bloom): July to October
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Sage is a hardy plant and can take cold temperatures but does not do very well in extremely cold climates.
Crops: Spring Transplant, Spring
Growing Season: Long
Growing Conditions: Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot. Sage originated in the Mediterranean and prefers mild winters and warm summers. It must have well drained soil in order to do well.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 55°F - 90°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 45°F. Don't plant outdoors in Spring until danger of frost has passed and soil is at least 45˚F.
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Full sun to part shade: min. 6 hours daily (Cold, Cool, Warm, Hot). This Mediterranean herb loves full sun, though in very hot climates it will also grow in partial shade.
Water: Medium. Sage is a very drought tolerant plant and is probably more often harmed by too much water, rather than too little. In very dry areas it will be more productive if watered occasionally.
Feeder: Light. Sage will grow in any well-drained soil, it doesn't need to be very fertile.
Suitability: Drought tolerant, Tolerates light frost, High heat
Small Gardens?: Yes
Containers?: Yes. Sage is an excellent candidate for container growing. Choose a pot that is a minimum of 8" deep and 8" in diameter. Make sure that there is at least one drainage hole in your container. Fill with potting soil and fertilize with compost. Water thoroughly and place in a sunny location. Water again when the soil gets dry.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes
Maintenance: Low
Height: 12-24"
Spacing: 12-15"
Sowing Depth: Just below the surface.
Produces: broad, textured, downy green leaves and spikes of purple flowers.
USDA Grow Zone: Annual: 3-9
Perennial: 10-11
Garden Uses: Mixed borders, beds.
Start scarlet sage from seed or small bedding plants from the local nursery. Check the tag in the pot, as scarlet sage herb comes in colors of pinks and whites, as well as red. When growing from seed, press seeds lightly into the soil or cover with perlite, as seeds need light to germinate. Start seeds of scarlet sage herb indoors in peat pots a few weeks before outdoor temperatures warm. Seedlings can be planted outside when both air and soil temperatures warm.
Grow scarlet sage plants in sandy loam, rocky soil or fertile soil that drains well. Scarlet sage plants grow best in a full sun area, but also perform well in a partially shaded location. Use them in rock gardens, borders, mass plantings and with other salvias. Reaching 2 to 4 feet in height, with a spread of 1 to 2 feet, scarlet sage plants occupy their designated area without taking over the bed, as some members of the mint family are prone to do.
Caring for a scarlet sage plant includes regular pinching or trimming of spent flower spikes, encouraging further blooms. Regular watering of the salvia herb is necessary if it does not rain. Salvias in containers may need watering daily during the hottest summer days. Scarlet sage care includes fertilization. Incorporate time release fertilizer when planting scarlet sage herb in spring, for nutrients to last throughout the growing season, or use a balanced fertilizer according to label directions.
Gather stems to use in cut arrangements. Snip off old flowers every few weeks to keep plants in bloom all summer.