Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Autumn Sage - Hot Lips
Hot Lips is the red and white sage sold alongside the autumn sages. In spring and fall its flowers are white with red tips, and in summer heat many come out all red or all white. It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, and hummingbirds and butterflies visit it through a long bloom season. In the Valley it does well on low to moderate water with some afternoon shade.
Best for: two-tone color in a flower bed, hummingbird and butterfly gardens, and spots with morning sun and afternoon shade, like an east bed or under a desert tree.
In the cooler weeks of spring and fall the flowers are white with red tips. In summer heat many come all red or all white, so the bed changes through the year.
It blooms from spring into fall, and hummingbirds and butterflies both visit. Shearing off spent flower spikes in summer keeps the flowers coming into fall.
It does best with some shade in the Valley. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or the light shade under a desert tree, suits it best.
It needs soil that drains and should dry between waterings. Old stems get woody over time, so it needs a cutback each late winter or early spring.
- Bed or border18-24 in apart
- Loose mass plantingAbout 4 ft apart
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks, then every 6 to 7 days. By weeks 7 and 8, water about every 10 to 14 days. After that, keep stretching the time between waterings.
Once rooted it needs low to moderate water. It blooms and looks better with regular water in summer. Water less often in winter.
It takes full sun to part shade, and it handles heat best with some shade in the Valley. Morning sun with afternoon shade is a good spot.
In late winter or early spring, cut out woody or frozen stems. Shearing off spent flower spikes in summer gives a heavier fall bloom.
Foamy spots on the stems are spittlebugs, and they are harmless. Trim off the affected stems if they bother you.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Hot Lips an autumn sage?
It is sold with the autumn sages and is often labeled Salvia greggii. Most growers list it as a variety of littleleaf sage, Salvia microphylla, a close cousin that crosses with autumn sage. Care for it the same way you would an autumn sage.
Why are my Hot Lips flowers all red or all white?
This is normal, because the color depends on the temperature when the buds form. In spring and fall the flowers are red and white, and in summer heat many come all red or all white. There is nothing to fix, and the two-tone flowers return when it cools off.
How big does Hot Lips sage get?
It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, at a moderate to fast pace. Plant it about 18 to 24 inches apart in a bed.
Does Hot Lips sage need full sun or shade in Phoenix?
It takes full sun to part shade, but in the low desert it does best with some shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade is a good spot.
How often should I water Hot Lips sage?
Water more often for the first couple of months while it gets rooted. After that it needs low to moderate water. Let the soil dry between waterings, and water less in winter.
When does Hot Lips sage bloom?
It blooms from spring into fall, over a long season. Shearing off the spent flower spikes in summer brings a heavier bloom in fall.
How do you prune Hot Lips sage?
In late winter or early spring, cut out woody or frozen stems and shape it. In summer, shear off the spent flower spikes to set up the fall bloom.
Does Hot Lips sage attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds and butterflies both visit the flowers through the long bloom season. Shear off spent spikes in summer to keep flowers coming into fall.
How cold hardy is Hot Lips sage?
It is hardy to about 0 to 10°F, so a Valley winter is not a problem. After a hard freeze it can come back from the roots.
Do rabbits and deer eat Hot Lips sage?
They tend to leave it alone, since the leaves have a scent rabbits and deer do not like. You usually do not need to fence it.
Is Hot Lips sage native to Arizona?
Its parent species, littleleaf sage, grows wild in southeast Arizona and Mexico, and Hot Lips itself came from a garden plant in Mexico. Treat it like a desert-adapted perennial, with drainage and water spaced out once rooted.
Autumn Sage - Hot Lips for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Hot Lips is the red and white sage that changes its look with the weather. It is sold with the autumn sages and grows to about the same size. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: the color shift, bloom season, sun, water, pruning, cold, and how it compares with red autumn sage.
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What is Hot Lips sage?
Hot Lips is a red and white flowering sage sold with the autumn sages. It is usually listed as a variety of littleleaf sage, Salvia microphylla, a close cousin of autumn sage. It came from a garden plant in Mexico.
Why does Hot Lips sage change color?
The flower color depends on the temperature when the buds form. Spring and fall flowers are white with red tips. In summer heat many flowers come out solid red or solid white.
Hot Lips sage in Phoenix: sun or shade?
It takes full sun to part shade, but some shade helps in the low desert. Morning sun with afternoon shade, or light shade under a desert tree, suits it best.
How big does Hot Lips salvia get?
Plan on about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide. It grows at a moderate to fast pace and makes a small shrub with age.
When to prune Hot Lips sage
Prune in late winter or early spring to remove woody or frozen stems. In summer, shear off the spent flower spikes for a heavier fall bloom.
Does Hot Lips sage attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit the flowers from spring into fall. Rabbits and deer tend to leave the plant alone.
Hot Lips vs red autumn sage
Red autumn sage has solid red flowers. Hot Lips has red and white flowers that shift with the temperature. Both are small, bushy sages that draw hummingbirds and like some afternoon shade in the Valley.
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