Salvia microphylla Hot Lips

Salvia microphylla Hot Lips is exceptional in the garden. The bright red and white flowers make a splash in any garden. Hot lips flower color patterns are not consistent. They will vary on an individual plant at any given time with some being almost completely white and others completely red. I think this adds to the entertainment value of this sage. But it is also a sign of the instability of the color pattern and the two toned flowers can revert to red. Salvia microphylla varieties make great, if a little enthusiastic, garden plants. This Salvia does well in light shade but flowers more prolifically in full sun. This specimen is growing in old dune sand near the coast. Drought stress or modest salt stress turns leaves red. I have not had issues with plants producing seedlings or the plants being problems in this way. The Salvia microphylla Hot Lips specimens in the ground have gotten about 3 feet tall and twice that wide. They look a little ratty in the winter so I cut them back and get an early flush of flowers in March. The plants are almost always in bloom through late Fall until it finally gets too cold. Salvia microphylla Hot Lips is a great addition to both the Butterfly Garden as well as the Hummingbird Garden.