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Salvia (Annual)
Salvia splendens
Also comes in purple and white.
Salvia (Annual) blooms from June through October.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Salvia (Annual)
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Salvia (Annual)
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Salvia (Annual) into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar.
Good to know about Salvia (Annual)
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Many compact bedding cultivars produce no nectar, so a plant with perfect hummingbird-shaped flowers can feed almost nothing. For pollinators, pick nectar-rich species types. per NC State
Is it drought tolerant?
NC State calls it drought intolerant and wants steady moisture; Clemson and Minnesota find established plants fairly drought tolerant in well-drained soil. Keep evenly moist, then avoid soggy soil. per NC State and Clemson
Hummingbird and bee magnet
The showy tubular flowers pull in hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees; the red tubular corolla is the classic shape a hummingbird's long beak and tongue can reach. per Clemson and Wisconsin
Deer and rabbit resistant
The pungent, aromatic mint-family foliage deters browsing: NC State tags it deer resistant, and Clemson adds rabbit resistant too. per NC State and Clemson
Blooms summer to frost
A long, continuous display from late spring or summer through the first autumn frost is the plant's main selling point; deadhead spent spikes to keep it going. per NC State and Clemson
Overwatering, not drought, kills it
The fungal rots that afflict it (damping-off, root rot, powdery mildew, Botrytis) all follow excess moisture and heavy nitrogen. Well-drained soil and light feeding are the fix. per NC State and Clemson
What pairs well with Salvia (Annual)
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; pink sits close to red on the wheel.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Viburnum
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lilac
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; purple sits close to red on the wheel.
Mock Orange
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.