Salvia splendens
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Salvia brasiliensis
- Salvia colorans
- Phonetic Spelling
- SAL-vee-ah SPLEN-denz
- Description
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A tender perennial from Brazil grown as an annual. Cultivars are available in various shades of red, pink, blue, lavender, orange, white and bicolor. Genus name comes from the Latin word salveo meaning to save or heal in reference to the purported medically curative properties attributed to some plants in the genus. Specific epithet means splendid.
Full sun to part shade; average well-drained soil; good for beds, borders, cottage gardens, and cutting gardens; compact selections are good for edging and containers.
Blooms summer til frost; conspicuous with terminal clusters of bright red flowers; white cultivars exist, as well as reddish-purple selections which can be very dark; petals drop early and calyces then begin fading in hues.
Quick ID
- Terminal clusters scarlet flowers
- Calyx two-lipped, broad
- Corolla elongate-tubular, upper lobes overtop lowe
- Opposite ovate leaves on square twigs
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Annuals, Perennials, Vines, and Groundcovers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Lighthouse Red'
- 'St. John's Fire'
- 'Vista Red White'
- 'Lighthouse Red'
- 'Lighthouse Red', 'St. John's Fire', 'Vista Red White'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Lighthouse Red'
- 'St. John's Fire'
- 'Vista Red White'
- 'Lighthouse Red'
- 'Lighthouse Red', 'St. John's Fire', 'Vista Red White'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Salvia
- Species:
- splendens
- Family:
- Lamiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Brazil
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 0 ft. 10 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 10b, 10a, 11b, 11a
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Blue
- Orange
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Variegated
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers red to scarlet; calyx scarlet, zygomorphic, 2-lipped, persisting in fruit with color fading; corolla scarlet, elongate tubular, to 1.3 inches long, ephemeral, short-lived, upper lobes longer than lower lobes. Inflorescence a terminal verticillate raceme; verticillasters 2-6 flowered.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Crenate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- opposite, petiolate, ovate, crenate, short acuminate,rotund to subcordate, glabrate
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Square
- Stem Description:
- erect, 8-30" tall square stems
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Cutting Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Hummingbirds
- Pollinators
