Scarlet sage

Scarlet sage: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Compact, upright clump 30–40 cm tall and about 30 cm wide, with square stems like all members of the mint family.

Leaves

Oval with a toothed edge, opposite; dark green and slightly glossy.

Flower

Upright spikes of tubular, two-lipped flowers about 4 cm long, in whorls around the stem, from June to October.

Colour

Mostly scarlet; also purple, salmon pink, white and bicoloured. The coloured calyces stay attractive for a long time.

Roots

Fine and fairly shallow: in a pot the root ball dries out quickly.

Flowering: June–October · Sowing: February–March · Plants: May–June

Why grow it?

• One of the brightest reds in the summer garden: a few plants immediately catch the eye.
• Flowers for five months, from June to October, if you remove the spent spikes.
• Stays low and compact: ideal for beds, edges, troughs and pots.
• Copes with sun and partial shade, and grows in sand, loam or clay.
• Easy to raise from seed and sold everywhere as young plants in May.
• A classic for colourful, retro-style bedding with French marigolds and floss flower.

Scarlet sage: where does it grow best?

• Full sun gives the most flowers; in partial shade it still flowers, but a little less.
• Ordinary, well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, ideally with some compost.
• Moderately moist: no waterlogging, but do not let it dry out either.
• A warm, sheltered spot: it only really takes off once the weather is warm.
• Plant 25–30 cm apart in a bed; a little closer in a trough.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.35 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

• French marigold: Orange and yellow next to red: a cheerful, classic summer bed.
• Floss flower: Low blue powder puffs as an edging in front of the red spikes.
• Dusty miller: Silver-grey foliage makes the bright red stand out even more.
• Jasmine tobacco: Taller white flowers at the back, fragrant in the evening.

Scarlet sage: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Sow indoors in February–March at about 21 °C. Press the seed onto the compost and barely cover it; seedlings appear in 1–3 weeks.
2. Prick out the seedlings into small pots once they have two true leaves and grow them on in good light at 15–18 °C.
3. Harden the young plants off outdoors for a week in May and only plant out after mid-May, when the nights are mild.
4. Plant at the same depth as in the pot, 25–30 cm apart, and firm the soil well.
5. Water in straight away and spread a thin layer of compost around the plants.

Care

Water

Water regularly in dry spells, especially in pots and troughs. Water at the base, not over the flowers.

Feeding

Mix compost or a little organic fertiliser into the soil at planting. In pots, give liquid feed every two weeks. Too much nitrogen mainly produces leaves.

Spent spikes

Cut off faded spikes just above the next pair of leaves: side shoots with new spikes will follow.

Pinching out

Pinch out young plants once when they are about 10 cm tall, for a fuller, bushier plant.

Tip: Remove faded spikes promptly: the plant then makes side shoots with new flowers instead of seed, and keeps flowering until the frost.

Scarlet sage: when to prune it?

When: This annual needs no real pruning. Do remove faded spikes regularly from July to October.

How:

• Cut a faded spike back to just above a pair of leaves or a side shoot.
• In April–May, pinch out the tip of young plants once for a wider, fuller plant.
• Remove yellowed or damaged leaves; this helps to limit grey mould.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Indoors in February–March at 21 °C, seed barely covered. Keep the compost moist but not wet, or the seedlings will collapse.

Cuttings

Tip cuttings of 5–8 cm from non-flowering shoots root easily in summer in moist cutting compost.

Scarlet sage: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 2 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not hardy: the plant dies at the first light frost. Grow it as an annual.
• Clear the plants after the first night frost and put them on the compost heap.
• Overwintering indoors in a cool, bright spot is possible but rarely worth it: sowing is easier.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Young plants are eaten after planting out. Do not plant out too early, collect slugs in the evening and use a slug barrier if needed.
• Damping off: Seedlings collapse at the base and wilt. Sow in clean compost, do not overwater and provide some air movement.
• Grey mould: Fluffy grey mould on flowers and leaves in cool, wet weather. Cut off affected parts and do not plant too closely.
• Aphids and whitefly: Mainly on young plants and in warm, sheltered spots. Spray off with water; ladybirds and parasitic wasps help.
• Few flowers: Too much shade or too much nitrogen. Choose a sunnier spot and feed less.

Through the year

• February: Sow indoors at 21 °C.
• March: Sow more. Prick out seedlings.
• April: Grow young plants on in good light. Pinch out the tips.
• May: Harden off. Plant out after mid-May.
• June: First flowers. Water in dry spells.
• July: Remove spent spikes. Feed plants in pots.
• August: In flower. Water and feed. Take cuttings.
• September: In flower. Remove spent spikes.
• October: Last flowers until the first frost.
• November: Clear away dead plants.

Did you know?

• In Brazil it is pollinated by hummingbirds: red tubular flowers are typical of bird-pollinated plants.
• It has been grown in Europe since the 19th century and is a classic of city parks and bedding schemes.
• Like all sages it has square stems and opposite leaves, typical of the mint family.