Scarlet Sage (Salvia splendens)

According to Wikipedia, Scarlet sage is a member of the mint family’s largest genus, Salvia, which contains over 900 species. Many Salvia species produce a wide range of pharmacological compounds and are widely used in herbal medicines.

However, scarlet sage is only mildly aromatic and generally grown solely as a flowering ornamental, although it too is being studied as a possible diabetes treatment.

Scarlet Sage is also known as ‘fire sage’. This popular ornamental plant is known for its tabular, long-lasting red blooms. The flowers are nectar rich attracting hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Depending on its cultivar, it grows from one to four feet.

It is a perennial sage species that reputedly grows several meters tall in its tropical mountain habitat at elevations of 1000 to 3000 metres. However, I found them in the Flower Dome where the temperature is always spring temperatures.

Scarlet sage usually flowers during the summer in temperate climates. They prefer full sun, or partial shade for optimal flowering. They thrive in well-drained soil, like most plants, but it is moderately drought-tolerant once established.

Deadheading, (the removal of spent flower heads), will encourage continuous blooming throughout the season, and pruning off young growth can encourage a bushier, fuller plant. They are easily grown from seeds.

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