Native to Brazil, the plant is aperennialbut often grown as an annual in temperate zones.
Best planted in mid-spring once the soil has warmed to at least 70F, red salvia grows quickly.
The dark green, heart-shaped leaves emit a fragrance that mammalian pests dislike, making the plant bothdeer-resistantandrabbit-resistant.
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Plant it in a location that gets at least six to eight hours of bright sunlight per day.
Soil
The soil should be rich in organic matter, moist, and well-draining.
Loamy soil is ideal.
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If the soil isn’t nutrient-dense, amend it with organic matter before planting.
Water
Red salvia plants like consistently moist soil, but overwatering the plant causes roots to rot.
Water slowly and deeply when the first inch or two of soil is dry.
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Temperature and Humidity
Red salvia is only winter-hardy in frost-free climates.
It is well-adapted to hot summer weather.
Types of Salvia
There are several cultivars ofS.
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While they all have similar care requirements, they vary in both color and height.
Propagating Red Salvia
Red salvia is propagated from seed.
There areopen-pollinatedred salvias as well as hybrids whose seeds dont produce plants that are true to the parent.
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Potting and Repotting
Red salvia makes a good container plant.
For a single plant, use an 8- or 10-inch pot with large drainage holes.
If you are combining red salvia with other plants, use a container at least 18 inches in diameter.
Fill the container with high-quality, well-draining potting soil.
Water frequently whenever the top layer of soil feels dry.
Because salvia is commonly grown as an annual, repotting during its single growing season won’t be necessary.
If that doesn’t work or the infestation is severe, treat the plant with a dilutedinsecticidal soaporneem oil.
Applications need to be repeated until all signs of the pest have disappeared.
Also monitor the plants for damage fromslugsand snails.
What Do Red Salvia Flowers Look and Smell Like?
The upright showy flower spikes rise above the lush green foliage.
The flowers are tubular and form dense clusters.
They don’t have any particular fragrance.
They only come back in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11.
Everywhere else, they are grown as annuals.
Those are two differentSalviaspecies.
Unlike red sage, its flowering spike is loose and widely spaced.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
