Salvia coccinea - Lady in Red

Coccinea means red, and there's nothing redder than Scarlet Sage. It's certainly the most profuse bloomer of all Salvias, putting out hundreds of tiny red trumpets from late spring through autumn. Hummingbirds and butterflies love it.

Scarlet Sage grows 1'-2' tall and nearly as wide. It blooms again and again, more if you pinch it back. Perennial in zones 7-10, it thrives in full sun or part shade, crummy soil, needs very little water, and tolerates deer, drought, pollution, and neglect. This is a great plant for beginning gardeners. It will survive almost anything and is so rewarding it will turn you into a collector.

In cooler zones, Scarlet Sage makes a perfect annual, grows fine in a pot, and self-seeds generously so you'll always have fresh seedlings in spring. It comes in colors besides red: 'Coral Nymph' is pink and white, 'Forest Fire" is red with startling black calyces, and there are others. Treat your hummers to this vigorous first salvia and you'll soon be hunting for more.

25 seeds