Today's plant of the day for Salvias is Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea).

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

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Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea)

Ours is a salmon color and this three years old has been blooming for over a month now. Its growing at the edge of an elevated plot where it gets winter rain and twice a week hand watering in summer. It's of a small stature as salvias go so its well behaved in in the border. I noticed today it's set some seed but I've yet to see any seedlings naturally occur. It has breezed through our drought with little help from me. Here are a couple of pics from 2014 of the same plant posted in the database in 2016 and you can see there has been no increase in the size of the plant just more blooms in a rainy year like this one. I'm always on the lookout for some of the Lavender flowered cultivars to try out.

Leslie, your gorgeous plant isn't Salvia coccinea but rather another Lamiaceae member called Stachys coccinea (Scarlet Betony.) They do look very similar but there are morphological differences, most noticeable in the flower shape. The easiest way to tell them apart quickly is that Salvia coccinea has two stamens while Stachys coccinea has four.

I do adore the color of Stachys coccinea!
Texas Betony (Stachys coccinea)

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As for Salvia coccinea, it is a great plant! It is easy to grow, quick to bloom from seed, long-blooming, and attracts hummingbirds!

Your so right. I just believed the label and never really paid attention as I looked at the darn thing. I pointed this one out on a tour again today. Oops. No wonder its so well behaved. Not a Salvia at all. Thanks Danita. Good lesson. Now to fix this without to much more confusion....

Leslie I was glad to see your pics of the Stachys Coccinea as I have one coming in my order from FBTS. S Coccinea is also wonderful.

S. Coccinea are one of my favorite salvias to grow.

I'm going to buy one and plant it right next to the Stachys coccinea just for fun.