- Low stock
Salvia | Hot Lips
Usually ready in 4 hours
Pickup available, usually ready in 4 hours
Unit E1, 26 Sir Alfred Owen Way
Joe's Plant Place
Caerphilly CF83 3HU
United Kingdom
Plant Description
Description
Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’, commonly known as Hot Lips Salvia, is a colourful, aromatic perennial shrub producing masses of distinctive red-and-white flowers from summer well into autumn. Loved by bees and other pollinators, it has a naturally bushy habit and is fantastic for sunny borders and containers, providing months of colour with relatively little maintenance.
PLANT CARE
Everything you need to know to keep your plant happy and thriving.
LIGHT
Direct Sunlight
WATER
Moderate watering while establishing. Water regularly during the first growing season, particularly during hot and dry weather. Once established, it becomes relatively drought tolerant. Container-grown plants will require more frequent watering.
SOIL
Well-draining, moderately fertile soil. Salvia performs particularly well in soil that doesn't remain wet during winter. Add grit or organic matter if drainage needs improving.
REPOT
Container-grown plants can be repotted every 2–3 years in spring. Move up gradually in pot size and use a free-draining compost with added grit.
HUMIDITY
Low
DIFFICULTY
Beginner
PET FRIENDLY
Yes
JOE'S TOP TIP
Plant ‘Hot Lips’ in a warm, sunny, sheltered position for the best flowering display. Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers. In colder areas, a sheltered position and good winter drainage will help protect it.
COMMON MISTAKE
Cutting it back hard in autumn. Leave the old growth in place over winter to give the plant some protection, then prune it back in spring once the risk of severe frost has passed.
WHEN TO COME BACK TO US
Come back in spring if you want: • Pruning advice • Help choosing companion plants • Advice on container growing • A general plant health check
PLANT FACT
The flowers don't always stay perfectly half red and half white. Their colouring can change depending on temperature and growing conditions, with some flowers appearing almost entirely red or white at different points in the season. Apparently even the plant can't commit to its own colour scheme.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Cultivar of Salvia microphylla, a species native to Mexico and the southern United States