Scarlet Sage Plant – Salvia coccinea (Live Starter Plant)

The Scarlet Sage plant (Salvia coccinea) is a brilliant, easy-care perennial that turns any sunny bed into a wildlife hotspot. Prized for its slender spikes of vivid red, tubular flowers, this heat-loving native blooms from early summer right up to the first frost — exactly when many other plants are fading in the heat. If you want maximum color with minimum fuss, the Scarlet Sage plant delivers month after month.

Why Grow a Scarlet Sage Plant?

• Hummingbird & butterfly magnet – the tubular red blooms are perfectly shaped for hummingbirds and also draw butterflies and bees all season long.
• Long bloom season – flowers continuously from early summer until the first frost, especially with regular deadheading.
• Tough & heat-loving – a Southern favorite that shrugs off heat and humidity and keeps blooming when other flowers wilt.
• Drought-tolerant & low-maintenance – once established it needs little water and almost no fuss.
• Deer-resistant native – native to the southeastern U.S., deer tend to leave it alone, and it supports local pollinators and biodiversity.

Love color that works for wildlife? Browse more options in our Flowering Plants and Outdoor Plants collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

• Botanical name: Salvia coccinea (also known as scarlet sage, tropical sage, red salvia, blood sage)
• Plant type: Warm-season flowering perennial (often grown as an annual in colder zones)
• Plant family: Lamiaceae (the mint family)
• Mature height: typically 2–3 feet tall
• Bloom season: Early summer to the first frost
• Flowers: Brilliant red, tubular blooms along upright spikes
• Wildlife: Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees
• Cold Hardiness Zones: 8–10

Scarlet Sage Care & Growing Guide

The Scarlet Sage plant is wonderfully forgiving once it settles in. Follow these simple guidelines:

• Sunlight: Full sun. Plenty of direct light produces the most flowers and the strongest color.
• Water: A water-conserving plant that only needs occasional watering once established. Water young plants while they root in, then let the soil dry between waterings.
• Soil: Well-draining sandy soil is ideal. Good drainage and airflow keep the plant healthy.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: 8–10.
• Pruning: Cut back after flowering as needed. Pinching the stem tips in late spring encourages bushier, fuller growth, and deadheading spent blooms keeps new flowers coming.

Scarlet Sage also reseeds in favorable conditions, so it can naturalize into cheerful colonies over time. To keep it contained, remove the spent flower spikes before they set seed.

Ways to Use Scarlet Sage in the Landscape

This versatile native shines in almost any sunny spot. Popular uses for the Scarlet Sage plant include:

• Pollinator and hummingbird gardens
• Sunny borders and cottage-garden plantings
• Mass plantings and naturalized meadow-style beds
• Container gardens for non-stop color and wildlife
• Cut-flower beds — the spikes make great cut flowers

For the biggest wildlife impact, plant Scarlet Sage in clusters and pair it with other nectar-rich, sun-loving plants. Gardeners often combine it with the Madagascar Periwinkle, Mexican Petunia (Purple Showers), or Dune Sunflower for a long-season pollinator buffet.

What You’ll Receive

These are live Scarlet Sage starter plants grown and shipped by Carlos Plant Farm. Plants are less than 12 inches tall when we ship them. The photos in this listing depict mature plants of the correct species so you can see how they will look as they grow and bloom. Choose your preferred plant bundle size using the options above.

Due to different state laws, we reserve the right to charge extra fees in order to comply with those laws if necessary.

Terms of the Sale

Please read the following terms of the sale completely. The customer agrees to all of the following when purchasing from Carlo’s Plant Farm:

• All sales are final. All orders are insured against damage or loss.
• The customer assumes all risk of loss or damage once USPS takes possession. If the order is damaged in any way during shipping, the customer agrees to file an insurance claim. Carlo’s Plant Farm agrees to assist the customer in filling out the form.
• Once your order is shipped, we offer no cancellation refund at all.
• We reserve the right to delay shipping due to extreme heat or cold.
• If you are unhappy with your order for any reason, you agree to contact us as soon as possible. The customer agrees not to publish a negative review before contacting us. Please do not place a negative review without first contacting us.

In purchasing from Carlo’s Plant Farm, the customer acknowledges, understands, and agrees with all the above terms of the sale.

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