Salvia coccinea

Grow Plants / Growing instruction / Salvia coccinea

Salvia coccinea grow and care – herbaceous of the genus Salvia also known as Scarlet sage, Salvia coccinea perennial evergreen but can grow as annual used as ornamental plant, can grow in tropics, mediterranean, subtropics or temperate climate and growing in hardiness zone 10+ and as annual can grow in hardiness zone 6+

Salvia coccinea Plants, Seeds & Supplies for Sale

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Scarlet Sage 3 Live Plants (Salvia coccinea) – Native Wildflower for Hummingbird & Pollinator Gardens, Long Blooming Red Flowers, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance Full Sun Perennial

Scarlet Sage 3 Live Plants (Salvia coccinea) – Native Wildflower for HummingbirdCheck Price on Amazon

SVI 1000 Red Sage Seeds for Planting Outdoors (Salvia coccinea) – Scarlet sage, Deer Resistant Wildflower – Heirloom Flower Seeds to Plant Outside & Inside Garden, Beds, Containers

SVI 1000 Red Sage Seeds for Planting Outdoors (Salvia coccinea) – ScarletCheck Price on Amazon

1,250 Scarlet Sage Heirloom Flower Seeds for Planting, Salvia Coccinea

1,250 Scarlet Sage Heirloom Flower Seeds for Planting, Salvia CoccineaCheck Price on Amazon

Scarlet Sage 6 Live Plants (Salvia coccinea) – Native Wildflower for Hummingbird & Pollinator Gardens, Long Blooming Red Flowers, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance Full Sun Perennial

Scarlet Sage 6 Live Plants (Salvia coccinea) – Native Wildflower for HummingbirdCheck Price on Amazon

Outsidepride Salvia Coccinea Scarlet Sage Seeds for Planting - 5000 Pcs Perennial, Heat-Tolerant Wildflower Seeds w/Red Blooms, Attracts Hummingbirds & Butterflies for Pollinator-Friendly Gardens

Outsidepride Salvia Coccinea Scarlet Sage Seeds for Planting - 5000 Pcs Perennial,Check Price on Amazon

loseedsoo 1500+ Scarlet Sage Seeds for Planting – Salvia coccinea Flower Seeds, Tropical Sage, Blood Sage, Red Hummingbird Flower Seeds, Heirloom Garden Seeds, Non-GMO, 2.5 g

loseedsoo 1500+ Scarlet Sage Seeds for Planting – Salvia coccinea Flower Seeds,Check Price on Amazon

Don’t see the exact variety you’re looking for?

Explore all live Salvia coccinea plants, pots, and starter kits on Amazon ↗

Leaves color green in ovate to elliptic shape.

Salvia coccinea – Scarlet sage flower

Flower color can be: red, salmon, white or orange, flowers grow on stalk in inflorescence, the red cultivar name is lady in red

Salvia coccinea for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy

How to grow Salvia coccinea – growing and care:

Prefer frost free, well-drained soil

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seedling / Seed / Vegetative Reproduction

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No, easily reseed itself, when needed specific color is better to start by cutting

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Aggressive and might be invasive

Scarlet sage planting season?
In tropic all year round, other climate spring

Pests and diseases:
Aphids

Pruning season:
All year

How to prune:
Mostly dead stalk

Size of the plant?
0.4-1.5 m, 16-60 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing

Water requirement:
Small amount of water / Average amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun / Half Shade

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a planter / flower pot / containers:
Yes, when grow in container, size 10-20L (2.6-5.2 gallons), require small to average amount of water with well-drained soil and the water go out of the pot, better not to use bottom of pot, every few years to switch soil can be all or just part of the soil, soil need to be well ventilated and make enough hole in the containers with good drainage, can us in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite and add rich soil with organic matter

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Most of the year, especially in the spring and summer

General information about the flower:
Red flowers but also can be orange or white, flowers grow on stalk in inflorescence.

How to grow Salvia coccinea from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Better to sow it in temperature of 20-25C (68-77F) possible in 15-29C (59-84F) but will take more time to germinate and less seeds will germinate, it’s easy to start from seeds usually it to put on the soil and cover a bit and it will grow

Saving and care seeds until sowing:
Dry and dark location better in root temperature or refrigerator

Sowing season:
Spring to summer in hardiness zone lower than 10a (include) but better in spring, autumn to winter in hardiness zone 10b+ spring, autumn or winter, and better not to sow it in hot summer days

How to plant:
Plant in sunny location until 25C (77F), temperature that will be above in half shade

Planting spacing:
30*40cm (12*16 inches)

Depth of Sowing:
3-6mm (0.2-0.4 inch)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist soil, humidity, sunny location

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water, don’t let the soil dry and keep the soil moist

Germination time:
2-3 weeks in optimal condition but can take 5 weeks

Condition of seedling:
Moist soil, sunny location but if it’s in the summer need to increase the amount of water

Cultivars

Lady in red (also known as lady in red sage) – flowers color is red to burgundy. Flowering time is from early summer until the fall. Can reach a height of 60 to 90cm (24 to 36 inches) with a spread of 30 to 45cm (12 to 18 inches).

Summer Jewel Red – Blooms continuously from spring to autumn. Blooms heavily in the summer. From sowing it takes 2 months for the first flowers to appear in red color. This cultivar attracts hummingbirds. Can reach a height of 45cm (18 inches) and a spread of 25 to 30cm (10 to 12 inches)

Forest fire (also known as Forest Fire Hummingbird Salvia) – red shiny flowers with dark calyces. Blooms from the mid-summer to the fall. Can reach a height up to 60 cm (24 inches) with a spread of 30 to 60cm (12 to 24 inches)

Coral Nymph (also known as Cherry Blossom) – Heart-shaped flowers have a pastel coral or salmon color. The blooming is earlier than for other salvias. Coral nymph can reach 60cm (24 inches)

Snow nymph (also known as Alba) – flowers color is white. Can reach 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 inches) with a spread of 45cm (18 inches). Leaves are triangular-shaped with a dark green color.

Summer Jewel Pink – Showy pink and white flowers, bloom from early summer to autumn. Can reach an height of 40 to 60cm (16 to 24inches) with a spread of 40cm (15 inches)

Scientific name:

Salvia coccinea

Alternative names blood sage, scarlet sage, Texas sage, or tropical sage

Categories

Blooming Seasons	Autumn flowers Spring flowers Summer flowers Winter flowers
Flower colors	Orange flower Red flower White flower
Climate	Mediterranean Climate Subtropics Climate Temperate Climate Tropics Climate
Ornamental parts	Ornamental flower Ornamental leaves Ornamental plant
Plant growing speed	Average growing plants Fast growing plants
Plant life-form	Annual plant Evergreen Herbaceous Perennial plant
Plant Uses	Ornamental plants
Planting Season	Autumn Planting Spring Planting Summer planting Winter planting
Plants sun exposure	Full sun Plants Part shade Plants
Watering plants	Regularly water Small amounts of water
Hardiness zone	Hardiness zone 10 Hardiness zone 11 Hardiness zone 12 Hardiness zone 13 Hardiness zone 7 Hardiness zone 8 Hardiness zone 9

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Salvia coccinea (scarlet sage) is not a houseplant, but the grower grows it well in containers – it is an excellent sunny balcony, patio or courtyard plant in a free-draining pot, flowering generously for pollinators.

Quick Details

Container Size: 10-20 L (2.6-5.2 gal) (grower’s value)
Indoor Suitability: Not an indoor plant – a sunny outdoor container plant
Best Spot: Full sun to half shade
Soil & Drainage: Well-ventilated, free-draining mix – potting mix, or peat with perlite/vermiculite, plus organic matter
Watering in Pots: Small to average – water must run straight out

Indoors & On the Windowsill

Houseplant reality: Not a houseplant – indoors the light is too weak for good growth and flowering. A very sunny sill may hold it briefly, but it wants full outdoor light to flower well.
Overwintering: Where winters are too cold for it outdoors, a key reason to pot it is to move the container into a bright, frost-free spot over the cold months and keep it on the dry side.

On a Balcony or Patio

Light & wind: Give it the sunniest spot; it thrives in the reflected warmth of walls and paving. Pots on a balcony or patio dry fast – walls, railings and paving reflect heat – so check moisture often and water more in warm, windy spells. Remember a full pot is heavy and sheds run-off when watered.
Drainage first: Make sure water runs straight out – salvias dislike sitting wet, especially in a pot.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

Pot & drainage: A 10-20 L (2.6-5.2 gal) pot suits it. Give a free-draining, well-ventilated mix with plenty of holes so water runs straight out, and the grower prefers no drip tray under the pot. Every few years swap out all or part of the soil. Use a potting mix, or peat with perlite or vermiculite, with some rich, organic matter added. Use a pot with strong drainage holes and skip a standing-water saucer so the roots never sit wet – that is the fastest route to root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries faster, while glazed or plastic pots hold moisture longer.
Watering in pots: Small to average – let the mix dry a little between waterings; the grower prefers no drip tray.
Feeding: Potted plants need feeding a little more often than those in the ground, as regular watering steadily leaches nutrients away – feed lightly through the growing season.
Repotting: Grown on as a perennial, replace all or part of the soil every few years to keep it fresh and free-draining.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

Bloom Season: Much of the year in mild climates, especially spring and summer
Flower Appearance: Small tubular flowers on slender spikes, most often scarlet-red but also salmon, orange or white (the red form is sold as ‘Lady in Red’)
Edibility: Ornamental — the flowers are non-toxic and the nectar is harmless, but the plant is grown for display rather than the table

Detailed Blooming Overview

Scarlet sage is one of the longest-flowering salvias, blooming for much of the year where winters are mild and reliably through spring and summer elsewhere. The airy spikes of small tubular flowers — classically bright red, but also available in softer salmon, orange and white — are a magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Flower Characteristics

Small and tubular, held on slender upright spikes.
Colours range from scarlet through salmon and orange to white.
Very attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

Bloom Care & Thinning

Keeping it blooming: Deadhead spent spikes to keep new flowers coming — it also self-seeds readily if you leave some to ripen.
Pollination: Hummingbirds and bees are the main visitors to the open flowers.
Placement: Full sun to light shade and free-draining soil give the best, longest display.

Bloom Health & Protection

Powdery mildew: Humid, crowded plantings can develop a white film on leaves and flower stems — spacing plants for airflow is the best defence, with a sulfur-based fungicide available if it sets in.
Aphids: They may gather on soft flower stalks — a strong jet of water or insecticidal soap keeps them in check.