Plant of the Month – November
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Hot Lips Sage
Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’
Flowers on Hot Lips Sage can be either all red, all white, or both red and white, a combination that stops passers-by in their tracks.
- Plant Form: Evergreen perennial
- Water Use: Low
- Mature Size: 2 – 3 feet tall & wide
- Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Bloom Time: Spring – Fall (Apr – Nov)
- Native to: Mexico
- Hardiness: Cold hardy to 15 °F
Hot Lips Sage is an early-blooming bi-color sage that you cannot look at without smiling. This plant always stops passers-by for a second look, including hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees that are attracted to the blossoms from late spring until the first frost. Two-tone flowers on the same plant vary depending on temperature throughout the season. With warmer evening temperatures, summer flowers are either all white or all red. As evening temperatures fall in autumn, flowers come back to their two-color nature: a clear white upper hood, and a cherry red lower lip. This compact, carefree, drought-tolerant shrub works for any water-wise garden, and resists browsing by rabbits and deer. Tolerates drought, but looks better with periodic water. With afternoon shade, Hot Lips Sage may grow to 4 feet tall. Stunning in borders, containers, rock gardens, and in mass plantings. A wonderful addition to cut floral bouquets. You will love this plant!
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