scarlet sage

Scarlet Sage Growing And Care Guide

Scarlet Sage may be the right plant for you if you want to add rich color to your garden without having to give it a lot of attention. Scarlet Sage needs ample sunlight and soil that drains well to flourish. Besides that, you will not have to worry about this striking species much other than when visitors invariably inquire about the identity of that cool plant.

What is Scarlet Sage?

Beautiful Scarlet Sage flowers, which are native to Brazil, make an eye-catching accent either massed as bedding plants or arranged in a row as boundary plants. In addition, they are well-liked in container beds, where they can add a vertical accent. If you adhere to a few straightforward guidelines for placement and plant maintenance, this time-honored garden staple will make a wonderful addition to your yard in the early fall and summer months. Salvia splendens is the scientific name for Scarlet salvia plants. Although the plants’ actual common name is scarlet sage, many people just call them red salvia. They are members of the mint family. Salvia splendens occur in a variety of hues, including white, pink, salmon, purple, burgundy, lavender, and orange, however, the scarlet variation is the most well-known.

Here are some brief facts about the popular aesthetic plant:

  • Latin name: Salvia splendens 
  • Other names: Red salvia, scarlet sage, blood sage
  • Native to: Brazil
  • Invasiveness: No
  • Tenderness: Herbaceous perennial
  • Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • Water: Average
  • Soil: Moist but well-drained 
  • Hardiness zone: 10–11
  • When to plant: 
  • Spacing: 12-18 inches
  • Plant height: 1–2 feet
  • Bloom period: Summer into fall
  • Time to maturity: 3-6 months
  • Container friendly: Yes
  • Fertilizer: Balanced
  • Toxicity: No
  • Drought tolerant: Yes
  • Deer resistant: Yes
  • Pest resistant: No

How to grow Scarlet Sage

Deadheading faded blooms will help your Scarlet Sage appear better and will encourage them to produce abundant flowers. To accomplish this, pinch off the flower spikes that have stopped flowering, being careful to squeeze all the way to the stem’s base. Before planting, enrich the soil in your landscaping with organic matter if it lacks nutrients. A sandy soil mix might also benefit from having its top layer of soil mulched, particularly during the drier summer months.

The roots of Scarlet Sage plants can rot if they are overwatered, although they prefer continuously wet soil. In general, depending on rainfall totals and high daytime temperatures, a watering plan every seven to 10 days is adequate. Make sure the top inch or two of the soil is dry before watering. To make sure water reaches the plant roots if the soil is dry, deeply irrigate the area.

Scarlet Sage plants like to develop in soil (and other environmental) environments with stable temperatures because they are relatively temperature-sensitive.

The Scarlet Sage should not be exposed to extended temperatures under 32 degrees Fahrenheit since it is not frost-hardy. Scarlet Sage doesn’t really require any particular humidity conditions.

Red Salvia plants should be fertilized with the same balanced fertilizer as your other yearly flowering plants for optimal results. Scarlet Sage plants often do not require frequent fertilization and can survive with just one in the spring.

Growing Scarlet Sage in containers

Red Salvia should be grown in rocky soil, sandy loam, or fertile soil with good drainage. Although they thrive in partial shade, Red Salvia plants also thrive in full sun. Use them with other salvias and in mass plantings, borders, and rock gardens. Red Salvia, which grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet and a spread of 1 to 2 feet, fill their assigned space without encroaching on the bed, as certain members of the mint family are prone to do.

Regular pinching or clipping of old flower spikes is a necessary part of caring for a scarlet sage in order to promote new blooms. If it doesn’t rain, the salvia has to be regularly watered. During the harshest summer days, salvias in pots may require daily watering.

When to start Scarlet Sage seeds

Scarlet sage can be multiplied through division or seed. In frigid areas, seeds and plants can readily be grown in a greenhouse since they can develop and blossom at any time of the year. Six to eight weeks before the typical last frost, start indoor transplants from seed. Because seeds need light to germinate, scatter them thinly.

When to plant Scarlet Sage

Best planted in mid-spring once the soil has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit, Red Salvia will grow quickly, eventually reaching heights of 18 to 30 inches at maturity. 

How to collect Scarlet Sage seeds

Permit your salvia to organically bloom. Wait for the rich, colorful blossoms to start turning a brownish-gray tint a week or two after they have bloomed. Round pods, known as nutlets, will appear when the petals fall off. As the plant dries out, the nutlets will begin to open and take on a more bell-shaped appearance. Until you have gathered all of the salvia seeds, keep emptying the pods. The year you harvested the seeds should be written on the label before you seal the jar or container. Until you are prepared to plant the seeds, keep the jar in a cool dry place for at least three years.

Wildlife attracted by Scarlet Sage

Scarlet sage should be planted in the butterfly garden when planting or expanding it. This steady, persistent cluster of red tubular flowers attracts dozens of hummingbirds and butterflies. The heart-shaped, dark-green leaves have a scent that mammalian pests find repulsive, making them resistant to both deer and rabbit damage.

Common problems

Keep an eye out for pests like snails, slugs, and whiteflies that could harm the Scarlet Sage plants. In fact, to avoid bringing any whiteflies home with you, carefully check the undersides of the leaves when purchasing plants at the garden center. Since whiteflies are a well-known pest in greenhouses, they occasionally travel undetected from the greenhouse to the garden center.

If a plant is affected, spray it vigorously with water to get rid of the bugs (from a garden hose). If it does not work, apply a light insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, such as neem oil, to the plant. Remember that you will need to repeat your applications until there are no longer any indications of illness.

Mayukh Saha
Freelance Writer
Mayukh is a Content Marketer and Social Media Manager with over 5 years of experience in the industry. Mayukh believes in the power of content; how it can positively impact lives, scale businesses and touch people. In his spare time Mayukh likes to read about latest tech trends and loves to travel in the nature. You can reach him at [email protected].