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Native Plant Society of Texas

Scarlet Sage

Salvia coccinea

Other common name(s):

Tropical Sage, Blood Sage, Red Sage, Indian Fire

Family:

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Leaflet Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community
Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Grand Prairie, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

0.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Semi Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Rocky, Caliche, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Red, Pink

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees

Maintenance

A perennial that will act like an annual in the colder areas. Will grow in a variety of conditions throughout Texas. Tends to get leggy in rich soils with too much water. Periodically trim to keep it bushy. It may go dormant during hot, dry summers and return in the fall. Or provide supplemental water and afternoon shade in areas where temperatures reach the 100’s in the summer. Re-seeds easily. Can be grown in container gardens. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Blooms January-December, depending on growing conditions. An upright form with square stems. Red, tubular flowers are clustered on a spike. Aromatic leaves are roughly triangular, hairy, with scalloped edges. Leaf retention depends on the region. The fruit is a nutlet.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 207. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SACO5. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=13665&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=32682#null, 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014., 8) https://rootedin.com/tough-texas-native-plants-for-shade-creating-a-cool-haven-before-the-heat/, 9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_coccinea, 10) https://seedsource.com/scarlet-sage/
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