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Scarlet Sage
Salvia coccinea
This showy wildflower is native to what is now the Southeastern US through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America.
Growing between 2 to 4 ft high, and branching out to about 2.5 ft wide bush with hairy, heart-shaped leaves with scalloped edges. Its beautiful bright red, tubular flowers make it a popular pollinator plant for hummingbirds and butterflies. With an exceptionally long blooming period, flowering starts at the beginning of summer and blooms all the way through autumn. A garden delight.
Grown as an annual in temperate climates, Scarlet Sage can be perennial in zones 8-10.
Days to maturity: 125
Seeds per pack: 50-60
Germination rate: 80% on 01/22/2024
Planting / harvesting notes
Sow the seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Sow seeds very shallowly or tamped down on the surface of the soil as they need light to germinate. Seeds will germinate in 2-3 weeks. Transplant in the garden after the last frost. You can divide mature, older plants in the spring, or take cuttings in the warmer season, though it's easier to grow them from seeds.
Seed keeping notes
Showy flowers will eventually turn brown and contain brown seeds, which will be shaken loose by birds and wind. Harvest the seedheads when fully brown and dry by clipping the stem and allowing to dry a bit further before removing the seeds.
