Dig into Plants: Red Sage

Red Sage

Other Common Names: Scarlet Sage, Tropical Sage, Blood Sage, Indian Fire

Scientific Name: Salvia coccinea

Alternate Non-Native Non-invasive Species:
Woodland Sage (Salvia nemorosa) or
Russian Sage (Salvia yangii or Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii)
Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)

Native to Alabama: Yes

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Mary Kline

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BASIC INFORMATION

ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS

MAINTENANCE NOTES

HABITAT REQUIREMENTS

LEAF, FLOWER & SEED ID

PLANT LIFE CYCLE

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Edith Bettinger

I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous.
I do keep leaves year-round, so I am evergreen.
Where it is cold, I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.
In warmer climates, I complete my life cycle in one growing season, so I am annual.
I can grow 1 – 2 feet high and 1 – 2 feet wide.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Native Bees

Other Pollinators

Hummingbirds

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:

Azure sage
(Salvia azurea)

Pitcher Sage
(Salvia azurea var. grandiflora)

Lyreleaf Sage
(Salvia lyrata)

Maintenance Notes

Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase.
Periodically trim and deadhead to keep it bushy.
Plants that get too tall or unsightly can be cut back for fresh growth and new blooms later in the season.
When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds. Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves.
Requires average amount of water.

Average watering: water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Part Sun/ Shade
(2-6 hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Acidic,
or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Joseph A. Marcus

LEAF DESCRIPTION

2-inch long, broadly triangular, hairy, medium green.

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Ovate or Deltoid	Margin: Serrate

Arrangement: Opposite	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Ray Mathews

FLOWER DESCRIPTION

Several whorls of red flowers form widely spaced flowering spike up to 10-inches long on a square stem; flowers are less than 1 inch long and two-lipped with smaller upper lip and larger lower lip.

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Bright scarlet red, pink, white	Shape: Tubular	Bloom Months: Feb – Oct

University of Wisconsin-Madison – Master Gardener Program Division of Extension

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds
Freely self-seed in warm winter climates


Type: Fruit – Dry Seed Pod	Description: Up to four tiny seeds at the bottom of each dried calyx

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.
After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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