Today's Salvias of the Day is Hybrid Sage (Salvia 'Scarlet Spires').

This plant can be found in the ATP Plant Database at:
Hybrid Sage (Salvia 'Scarlet Spires') .

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Hybrid Sage (Salvia 'Scarlet Spires')

I tried growing this species here in central Florida, but it apparently didn't like my humid and hot climate. It did briefly bloom before it's demise and it was a pretty reddish bloom and seemed to attract the bees. (At the time, there were no hummingbirds around.) I have seen photos of it in other climates and it is a beauty. Wished I could grow it here successfully.

It's sort of reminds me of S. coccinea, but the leaves and blooms are bigger. It looks like a larger version of S. coccinea to me. Too bad it doesn't like my climate like S. coccinea does. I wouldn't mind having this one as a weed in my yard.

@FBTS

Can you comment on Becky growing Scarlet Spires in FL?

@beckygardener


We've hot and humid summers here too. Sometimes during yearly summers, we are hotter than FL temps. We've checked the Weather Channel during hot days and know it. One summer month a few years ago, Dean (airline pilot), loved flying down to Miami (had a bunch of Miami trips), since it was a lot cooler there than here ). Maybe there is something you can do to grow Scarlet Spires. I grow it in a large container (20 or 24 inch), add a good potting soil mix, and add compost http://www.gardeners.com/buy/o... add http://www.gardeners.com/buy/o... and/or http://www.gardeners.com/buy/a...

It truly is a wonderful salvia. Hope you can grow it!

Scarlet Spires does well across most of the country, but less so in the humidity of the Southeast. The darcyii parent is a dry lover, and that has to be taken into account. I also believe it needs a real dormancy, something much of Florida cannot muster.

Thanks so much, Kermit for chiming in regarding SS in the southeast. I didn't know that about SS.

@beckygardener

Take a look at these for FL salvia.....

http://www.fbts.com/salvias-fo...

Thanks Kermit and Marilyn - I had a feeling that the humidity was not that species' friend.

I have purchased several saliva from Kermit over the past couple of years and most all have done exceedingly well. I have my eye on Salvia dombeyi, which might be my next purchase in the future. Looks like a very good hummer plant. My biggest problem is that I need "WINTER" blooming plants. I only have the hummers here in the Fall/Winter months, so my collection of Salvia consists of almost all Fall/Winter blooming salvia except the few that bloom year round here for me.

@beckygardener

Here ya go. Fall and Winter blooming salvias. Lucky you to have salvias blooming all fall and winter.

http://www.fbts.com/fall-bloom...

http://www.fbts.com/winter-blo...

LOL! Thanks for the links, Marilyn.

Actually I use this page:
http://www.fbts.com/hummingbir...

And then try to discern what grows well in my climate and what blooms in Winter or year round. I grow salvia strictly for the hummingbirds (and butterflies and bees, too!)

@beckygardener

" I grow salvia strictly for the hummingbirds (and butterflies and bees, too!)"

I use the hummingbird link, the butterfly link, the bee link, all the colors links and some other links at FBTS.

Just trying to enable you.

Oh! I've been enabled for 11 years! I have plants everywhere for the hummingbirds in Winter! That was originally my whole purpose for gardening. Attract hummers to my yard. Well ... actually.... butterflies came first .... I garden for butterflies/caterpillars and then added more plants for hummers.

Sounds great!

I try to have lots of hummingbird, butterfly and bee plants in my yard spring to fall every year.

I garden strictly for hummingbirds too (and butterflies- bees ok, I know we need them)! But I have come to love these plants for their beauty just to look at also, especially Salvias and Agastaches! It is a win/win situation for sure!!

jg0613 said:I garden strictly for hummingbirds too (and butterflies- bees ok, I know we need them)! But I have come to love these plants for their beauty just to look at also, especially Salvias and Agastaches! It is a win/win situation for sure!!

@jg0613

I love growing salvias, agastaches, porterweed, and other plants for their beauty too. It sure is a win/win situation.