Red Salvia

Salvia coccinea

Red Salvia is also known as Tropical Sage,Texas Sage, Blood Sage, Hummingbird Sage, Scarlet Salvia, yet not Scarlet Sage which is from Brazil. Although Red Salvia is listed as an annual, it will live for at least five years if watered during prolonged drought, fertilized occasionally and cut back when full of dead heads.

Red salvia grows to two feet tall or more and is infrequently found along the coast and within inland hammocks. There is some debate as to whether it is native; I feel there is a good chance that it is.

It is tolerant of salt air back of the dune but not salt water flooding. I have found it naturally along the eastern edge of lake Okeechobee under an old live oak. Since there were Coontie there too, I wonder if it was a survivor of an old Indian site.

Seedlings come up easily around the plant, especially the pink form. Plant about two feet apart and make sure they stay where you want them or they will crowd out other plants. In fact, scattered seedlings look weedy and should be removed from a manicured front yard planting. Funny how Coreopsis always looks good no matter where it comes up yet Salvia doesn’t.

Butterflies and hummingbirds visit the flowers. Try some in a pot near the house. And many birds eat the seeds, including buntings that like the young, soft seeds. Seed eating insects attract warblers and other insect eaters.

Salvia is tolerant of full sun to moderate shade, yet will look poor if kept in full sun during a long period of drought. This is a good choice for pineland shade.

Naturally occurring colors include red, pink and white. Pink and white are recessive traits. Pink tends to become more prevalent as its genes increase within the population. We provide just red or a mix of all three colors as multiple seedlings.

This plant can be mixed with many types of clumping wildflowers like Gaillardia, Porterweed, Grasses, Horsemint, Yellowtop, Blue Curles, Beach Verbena, Seaside Goldenrod, Pineland Petunia, white flowered Mexican Poppy, Giant Ironweed and Dune Sunflower.
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