Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Autumn Sage - Hot Pink
Autumn Sage Hot Pink is autumn sage with bright, hot pink flowers. It blooms heavily in spring and again in fall, and hummingbirds, butterflies and bees come to the flowers. The plant is a small, rounded shrub about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide with glossy green leaves. In the Valley it wants some afternoon shade and gets by on low to moderate water.
Best for: pink color in beds and borders, pollinator and hummingbird gardens, and patio containers or wall-side beds with shade from the afternoon sun.
Plant a row or a group about 2 to 3 feet apart for a band of hot pink in spring and fall. Each plant makes a rounded mound of glossy green leaves.
Bees and butterflies work the flowers along with hummingbirds. Trimming off old flower spikes keeps new ones coming through the season.
At about 2 to 3 feet, it suits a large patio container or a bed along a wall. In the low desert, pick a spot on the east side or one that gets afternoon shade.
Hot, reflective spots and all-day summer sun stress it, and highs near 110°F show on the leaves. Full shade cuts the flowers. It turns woody and sprawling if never cut back.
- Massed bed2 ft apart
- Border or row3 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.
In the Valley, morning sun with afternoon shade, or filtered shade, suits it best. Avoid reflected heat and all-day sun, since heat stress sets in once highs reach about 110°F. Deep shade cuts the bloom.
In late winter or early spring, cut it back by about half, or hard to 4 to 6 inches to renew it. A trim in mid-summer sets up a strong fall bloom. Snip off spent flower spikes for more flowers.
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.
How big does hot pink autumn sage get?
It grows fast into a rounded mound about 2 to 3 feet tall and just as wide. Plant it 2 to 3 feet apart so the mounds just touch.
How far apart should I plant autumn sage?
Plant it about 2 to 3 feet apart in a bed or border, so the mounds just touch as they fill in.
Does autumn sage need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, some shade helps in the low desert. Give it shade from the summer afternoon sun, such as an east-facing bed. At higher elevations it takes full sun.
When does autumn sage bloom in the low desert?
It blooms heaviest in spring and fall and flowers less in the summer heat of the low desert. Shear it lightly in mid-summer so it is ready to bloom again in fall.
How much water does autumn sage need?
It needs low to moderate water once it is rooted. Water more often for the first couple of months, then deeply and less often. It needs less in winter than in summer.
How do I prune autumn sage?
Shear it in late winter and again in mid-summer. Trimming off spent flower spikes keeps it blooming. Once a year it can be cut to about 6 inches above the ground.
Does autumn sage attract bees and butterflies?
Yes. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all visit the flowers. Trim off old flower spikes to keep new ones coming.
What soil does autumn sage need?
It needs soil that drains, and it grows in sand, loam or rocky desert soil. Avoid spots where water puddles after irrigation.
How cold hardy is autumn sage?
It is hardy to about 0°F. It stays evergreen through a Valley winter, so it needs no frost cover.
Do rabbits eat autumn sage?
Rabbits and deer tend to leave it alone, since the leaves have a minty, herbal smell. You usually do not need to fence it.
Autumn Sage - Hot Pink for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Autumn Sage Hot Pink brings bright pink flowers to a small, tough shrub that blooms in spring and fall. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all visit it. Below is how it grows in a Valley yard, with sun, spacing, water, feeding, pruning and cold covered.
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Hot pink autumn sage in Phoenix
This is autumn sage with hot pink flowers. In Phoenix summers it needs some protection from the afternoon sun, and an east side works well. It blooms heaviest in spring and fall.
How far apart to plant autumn sage
Set plants about 2 to 3 feet apart in a bed or border. Each one grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide.
Autumn sage for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
The flowers draw hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Removing old flower spikes keeps new flowers coming.
How to prune autumn sage in Arizona
Shear it in late winter and again in mid-summer. Once a year it can be cut to about 6 inches above the ground, which keeps it from turning woody and sprawling.
Watering autumn sage in the low desert
Water more often for the first couple of months while it roots. After that it needs low to moderate water, deep and infrequent, with less in winter.
Why is my autumn sage not blooming in summer?
That is normal in the low desert. Flowering drops off in summer heat and comes back in fall. A mid-summer trim sets it up for the fall bloom.
What colors does autumn sage come in?
Red and pink are the most common, and there are also white, purple, orange and peach forms. This page is the hot pink. We also carry pink, red, Furman's Red and Hot Lips.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.