Overview

Transform your garden with this stunning set of Hot Lips Salvia live plant specimens. Known for their prolific and vibrant red and white bicolor flowers, these perennial plants bring a burst of color and a delightful fragrance to any outdoor setting from summer through fall. Each set includes four healthy Salvia plants, each rooted in a convenient 4-inch pot, ensuring they are ready for immediate planting upon arrival. The ‘Hot Lips’ variety of Salvia microphylla is particularly cherished for its unique flower shape, resembling open lips, and its ability to attract pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. This makes the Hot Lips Salvia live plant not only a beautiful decorative element but also a beneficial addition to your garden’s ecosystem, promoting biodiversity and natural beauty.

Key Benefits

Adding a Hot Lips Salvia live plant to your landscape offers numerous advantages, enhancing both the aesthetic appeal and ecological health of your garden. These robust plants are easy to care for and provide long-lasting enjoyment.

• Continuous Bloom: Enjoy a prolonged display of beautiful red and white bicolor flowers throughout the summer and into the fall. The vibrant blooms of the Hot Lips Salvia live plant ensure your garden remains lively and colorful for months.
• Attractive to Pollinators: The nectar-rich flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, making this a perfect choice for creating a pollinator-friendly garden. This contributes to the health of local ecosystems.
• Fragrant Foliage: The leaves of this fragrant Salvia plant release a pleasant, aromatic scent when brushed, adding another sensory dimension to your garden experience. The subtle fragrance is especially noticeable on warm days.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, these Salvia plants are remarkably drought-tolerant and require minimal care, making them an excellent choice for busy gardeners or those new to gardening. They are resilient and forgiving.
• Versatile Landscaping: Ideal for borders, containers, mass plantings, or as a vibrant focal point in perennial beds. The upright growth habit of red and white Salvia allows it to fit seamlessly into various garden designs.
• Deer Resistant: Generally, deer tend to avoid Salvia due to its aromatic foliage, making it a good option if deer are a concern in your area. This helps protect your garden from unwanted browsing.
• Hardy Perennial: Thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-6, returning year after year with proper care and winter protection in colder regions. This ensures a reliable and long-term garden investment.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Hot Lips Salvia live plant is straightforward, ensuring a bountiful display of flowers with minimal effort. These plants are quite resilient, but providing optimal conditions will help them thrive and reach their full potential. Understanding the specific needs of Salvia Hot Lips care is key to a flourishing garden.

For sunlight, these plants prefer full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. While they can tolerate some partial shade, too little sun may result in fewer blooms and leggy growth. Ensure they are placed in an area that receives ample light throughout the day. When it comes to watering, the Hot Lips Salvia live plant has moderate moisture needs. Water deeply once or twice a week, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, especially during hot, dry periods. Avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot. Well-draining soil is crucial for Salvia. They thrive in sandy or loamy soil types with good drainage. If your garden soil is heavy clay, consider amending it with organic matter and sand to improve drainage. For optimal growth, these plants prefer a neutral to slightly alkaline soil pH.

The USDA Hardiness Zone for this particular Salvia variety is 5-6, indicating it can withstand winter temperatures down to -20°F in Zone 5. In colder zones, consider providing winter protection with a layer of mulch around the base of the plant. Fertilization is generally not heavily required. A light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring can encourage vigorous growth and blooming. Deadheading spent flowers regularly will also promote continuous blooming throughout the season and prevent the plant from going to seed prematurely. Watch out for common pests like aphids or whiteflies, which can be managed with insecticidal soap if necessary. Proper air circulation also helps prevent fungal diseases. With consistent Salvia Hot Lips care, your plants will be a highlight of your garden.

Size & Details

This offering includes a set of four healthy Hot Lips Salvia live plant specimens. Each plant is established in a 4-inch nursery pot, providing a strong root system ready for transplanting into your garden or larger containers. At the time of shipment, plants typically stand between 6 to 10 inches tall, with a similar spread, and will quickly grow once planted. When mature, these perennial Salvia outdoor plants can reach a height of 2 to 3 feet and a spread of 2 to 3 feet, creating a substantial and impactful presence in your landscape. They exhibit a moderate growth rate, establishing well within their first season and blooming profusely from early summer until the first frost. This set of 4 plants allows for immediate impact and versatile planting arrangements, whether you’re filling a large bed or creating multiple container displays.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Hot Lips Salvia live plant typically grows to a mature height and spread of 2 to 3 feet, forming a bushy, upright perennial. Its compact size makes it suitable for various garden spaces.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: Each of the four Salvia plants in this set comes in a 4-inch nursery pot, providing a well-established root system for successful transplanting.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden beds, borders, and outdoor containers. While it can be overwintered indoors in very cold climates, it performs best as a perennial Salvia outdoor plant.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: The Hot Lips Salvia live plant requires full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, to produce the most abundant blooms.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, this Salvia variety is considered low-maintenance and easy to care for, making it suitable for both beginner and experienced gardeners. Regular watering and occasional deadheading are usually sufficient for beautiful blooms.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your plants will arrive healthy and well-packaged in their 4-inch nursery pots, carefully protected to minimize stress during transit. They will be ready for immediate planting.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: These plants are typically mature enough to start blooming in their first growing season, providing a colorful display from early summer through fall.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant red and white Salvia is in spring after the last frost, or in early fall in warmer climates, to allow roots to establish before extreme temperatures.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This Salvia is hardy in USDA Zones 5-6. In Zone 5, it may benefit from winter protection like mulching, while in Zone 6 and warmer, it typically overwinters successfully without extra care.
• Q: Is this a fragrant Salvia plant? A: Yes, the foliage of the ‘Hot Lips’ Salvia is aromatic, releasing a pleasant scent when touched or brushed, contributing to its appeal as a fragrant Salvia plant.