Multitudes of people love Salvia. These Salvia plants, better known as Sage or SCARLET sage, are indigenous to nearly all continents.
Most varieties of Salvia are heat resistant and drought tolerant along with providing colorful flowers that bloom lavishly.
This plant is easy to grow and Salvias furnish over 900 species; offering amazing potential for your garden! The lush green leaves of the Salvia plant are so attractive that this Sage looks handsome even when not in bloom.
Salvia is a member of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family; the MINT family. Hot temperatures are a considerable concern for our Arizona gardens and Red Salvia loves the heat!
Salvia splendens, Salvia coccinea, Salvia darcyi, Red Salvia, or commonly referred to as Scarlet Sage are hardy, impressive plants and our favorite choice because of their lovely red blooms. These Red Salvia are not edible like the sage in your kitchen.
Like most Salvia, the fragrant foliage is deer and small critter-resistant. One of our Scarlet Sage, RED SALVIA, gardens is growing in the open desert and available to all wildlife. In the past several years, we can report that our desert sage was devoured 1 time by JAVELINA but has been left alone ever since. Most likely the Salvia made them ill.
A location with full sun is the best choice for most salvia varieties but some are shade tolerant. Our Salvia located in part shade did not make it through the winter; on the other hand, the salvia plants in sunny locations come back year after year.
When the flowers are spent the Salvia will self-sow its seeds! Take a look at the photo below. No worries about Salvia being intrusive: you can easily transplant the seedlings or share them with friends. Simply pull up your unwanted plants.
Sometimes called Autumn Sage, Red Salvia blooms continually from spring through fall. A garden plant “must have” that is perennial and hardy in Tucson and Phoenix.
Can you grow Salvia in pots and containers? Absolutely! We have several different pots with gorgeous Scarlet Sage blooming throughout the yard. Our favorite color of Salvia for our garden is red but many cultivars offer pastel blooms such as pinks and blues.
The main difference with growing Salvia in containers is: 1) the plants need to be watered more often 2) several of the small shrubs needed replaced after winter
The abundant showy flowers produce a good amount of nectar making them attractive to hummingbirds and some people have named salvia: HUMMINGBIRD SAGE.
Goldfinches and other birds visit the Salvia plant to pick out the tiny brown seeds hidden in the calyces.
Deadheading Salvia encourages more blooms and more birds! It can be so fun watching the Goldfinches pick out the seeds. Salvia plants can get pretty tall and unshapely. Prune the salvia stalks back for fresh growth and new blooms! We trim often to keep a fuller shrub and nice shape.
Hardy Salvia has been a jewel in our garden and definitely worth a try. 🙂
