Today's Salvias of the Day is Big Red Sage (Salvia penstemonoides).

This plant can be found in the ATP Plant Database at:
Big Red Sage (Salvia penstemonoides) .

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Big Red Sage (Salvia penstemonoides)

We've tried for years to successfully grow this one. It's just one of those plants that wants very specific conditions - climate, soil chemistry, watering regime - and tries to find a way to die if any of these are less than perfect. I suspect that's why it is not more widely grown. Hard headed gardeners like myself continue to try, but my head hurts thinking about the time I've spent killing this plant.

I grew this successfully, when I lived in Austin, but did not think it would do well in Houston, so did not bring any with me. It was once thought to be extinct, but was found growing in the wild in central Texas and was brought back into cultivation. I think growing conditions similar to central Texas would be your best bet, if you try to grow this one.

I've grown Salvia penstemoides in several different places in my yard and there is one bed that it seems to like, grows and blooms for years, although it is planted right next to a spruce. I always try to keep the spruce trimmed back, so Salvia penstemoides keeps growing and blooming. I thought I lost it this year, but it was slower growing and blooming.