Mexican scarlet sage
Salvia fulgens
RHS AGM 1993
USDA zones9 to 12
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size4 to 5 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Mexican scarlet sage (Salvia fulgens) is a shrub for borders, containers, and low maintenance gardens. It grows outdoors year-round in USDA zone 9 and warmer, down to about 20°F (-7°C). In colder areas, grow it as a houseplant or bring it indoors for winter. This plant likes full or part sun and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. It stays evergreen and blooms in early to late summer and again in early to late autumn. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees visit the flowers. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal.
Pairs well with Shrimp plant, Night-blooming jasmine, and Red ginger.
Native range
Africa.