Scarlet sage
Also called Bedding salvia, Scarlet salvia.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 4 days in the growing season, every 14 in winter |
| Humidity | medium |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 40 cm (16 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Salvia splendens.
Scarlet sage is the bedding plant that gives the strongest red in the garden, and it is a Brazilian perennial grown as an annual almost everywhere. It needs heat, and that is the difference between a plant that colours up properly and one that stands there green until August. In the north the seed is sown under cover in spring and the plants go out once the nights are warm. In South Africa salvia turns up on the planting lists for June and July as a winter seedling in frost free regions, again in September, and through November and December as a summer bedding plant. Pinch the young plants once to make them bush out, keep the soil moist, feed monthly, and cut the spent spikes off to bring on the next flush.
Ailments observed
| It will not flower | Sown too late, or grown in shade where it never gets warm enough. Move it into sun and be patient, because this one needs heat to colour up. Sow earlier under cover next year. |
|---|---|
| White powder on the leaves | Powdery mildew on plants that were allowed to go dry, then crowded together. Space the plants further apart, water the soil rather than the leaves, and remove the worst affected growth. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner
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