Overview

Transform your garden with the captivating beauty of the hot lips sage live plant. This offering includes three well-rooted, healthy plants, ready to bring vibrant color and unique charm to your landscape. Known botanically as Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’, this particular variety is celebrated for its distinctive bicolor flowers, which typically display a striking combination of white and bright red. As temperatures rise in summer, the red pigmentation often becomes more dominant, giving the blooms an even deeper, richer hue. These hardy perennial bushes are a favorite among gardeners for their long blooming season, ease of care, and ability to attract pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. Whether you’re looking to create a stunning border, add a focal point to a container, or simply enjoy continuous bloom, these hot lips sage live plant specimens are an excellent choice for any outdoor setting.

The ‘Hot Lips’ sage is a delightful addition to any garden, offering a playful yet elegant aesthetic. Its vigorous growth and abundant flowering make it a standout performer. These plants are shipped live and well-rooted, ensuring a strong start in your garden. Experience the joy of watching these dynamic flowers change color with the seasons, providing visual interest from spring through fall.

Key Benefits

Investing in these hot lips sage live plant specimens brings a multitude of advantages to your garden and outdoor living space. Their unique characteristics make them a highly desirable choice for both novice and experienced gardeners:

• Stunning Visual Appeal: Enjoy the unique bicolor flowers that transition from white and red to a deeper, more intense red as summer progresses. This dynamic color change provides continuous visual interest throughout the growing season, making them a perfect choice for an ornamental garden sage.
• Long Blooming Season: These perennial bushes offer an extended period of bloom, typically from late spring until the first frost, ensuring your garden remains colorful for months.
• Attracts Pollinators: The vibrant flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, helping to support local ecosystems and bring life to your garden.
• Hardy & Low Maintenance: Once established, salvia microphylla hot lips plants are remarkably tough and require minimal care. They are drought-tolerant and generally resistant to pests and diseases, making them an ideal choice for busy gardeners.
• Versatile Landscaping: Perfect for a variety of uses, including garden beds, borders, rock gardens, and containers. Their upright, bushy habit adds structure and texture to any design.
• Fragrant Foliage: The leaves of the sage plant emit a pleasant, herbaceous aroma when brushed, adding another sensory dimension to your garden experience.
• Deer Resistant: Typically, deer tend to avoid sage plants, making them a good option for gardens in areas where deer can be a problem.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your red flowering sage is straightforward, ensuring these beautiful plants thrive and provide abundant blooms for years to come. These hardy perennials are known for their resilience and adaptability, making them suitable for a wide range of gardening skill levels. To ensure optimal growth and flowering, proper site selection and routine care are essential.

For sunlight requirements, the ‘Hot Lips’ sage thrives in full sun, meaning it needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. While it can tolerate some partial shade, too little sun may result in fewer blooms and leggy growth. When it comes to watering, these plants are quite drought-tolerant once established. Water regularly after planting to help them get settled, then reduce frequency. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Overwatering can lead to root rot, so ensure your soil has excellent drainage. Speaking of soil, well-draining soil is crucial for this plant’s health. A sandy loam soil is ideal, but it can adapt to various soil types as long as they are not waterlogged. The perennial sage plant prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil pH. USDA Hardiness Zones generally range from 7-10 for this variety, though protective measures might be needed in colder zones. Fertilization is typically not heavily required; a light application of a balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring is usually sufficient. Pruning after the first flush of blooms can encourage a second wave of flowers and maintain a tidy shape. Watch out for common pests like aphids, though they are generally not a major issue for salvia.

Size & Details

This offering includes three individual hot lips sage live plant specimens, each well-rooted and ready for planting. These plants are typically shipped in nursery pots, ensuring they arrive in optimal condition for transplanting into your garden or larger containers. At maturity, the ‘Hot Lips’ sage typically grows to a height of about 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) and spreads similarly, creating a beautiful, bushy form. The growth rate is moderate, establishing quickly to provide a substantial presence in the landscape within the first growing season. You can expect these plants to begin flowering in late spring, continuing their display of unique red and white blooms through summer and into fall, offering a long season of enjoyment. Their compact yet vigorous growth habit makes them an excellent choice for various garden designs, from formal beds to more informal cottage gardens. These are true perennials, meaning they will return year after year with proper care, enriching your garden with their vibrant colors.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The hot lips sage live plant typically reaches a mature height and spread of about 2-3 feet (60-90 cm). It forms a lovely, rounded bush that can be easily maintained with pruning.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is primarily an outdoor plant, a hardy perennial bush that thrives in garden settings. While it can be grown in containers, it prefers to be outdoors in full sun.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For the best blooming performance, the salvia microphylla hot lips requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, ideally full sun exposure.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, ‘Hot Lips’ sage is considered a low-maintenance plant. Once established, it is drought-tolerant and generally resistant to pests and diseases, making it suitable for beginners.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your order will include three well-rooted, live plants, carefully packaged to ensure they arrive healthy and ready for planting. They are typically shipped in their nursery pots.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant these perennial sage plant specimens is in spring or early fall, allowing them ample time to establish their root systems before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: ‘Hot Lips’ sage is hardy in USDA Zones 7-10. In colder zones, it may need winter protection or can be treated as an annual.
• Q: What type of soil does it prefer? A: This plant thrives in well-draining soil. Sandy loam is ideal, but it can adapt to various soil types as long as they do not retain too much moisture.
• Q: Does this plant attract pollinators? A: Absolutely! The vibrant blooms of this red flowering sage are very attractive to hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, making it a great addition for a pollinator garden.
• Q: Can I grow this plant in a container? A: Yes, the ‘Hot Lips’ sage is an excellent choice for containers, especially on patios or balconies. Just ensure the container has good drainage holes.