Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Autumn Sage - Red
Autumn Sage Red is the red-flowered form of autumn sage, a small evergreen shrub from Texas and northern Mexico. It covers itself in red flowers in spring and again in fall, and hummingbirds come to it through both seasons. It stays about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, so it fits borders, planters and patio pots. Give it morning sun with afternoon shade and it gets by on low to moderate water.
Best for: hummingbird borders and beds, the east side of the house or filtered shade under a desert tree, and patio pots and planters with morning sun.
Set plants about 2 to 3 feet apart along a walk or bed. The red flower spikes draw hummingbirds, and butterflies and bees visit too. Cut the row back by about half in late winter to keep it dense.
In the Valley it does best with morning sun and shade from the hot afternoon sun. An east-facing bed or the filtered shade under a palo verde both work. Keep it off hot west walls, where reflected heat stresses it.
At about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, it can live in a large patio container or a raised planter. Keep the pot out of the hottest afternoon sun, and snip off spent flower spikes to keep it blooming.
Reflected heat and all-day sun stress it, and it shows heat stress once highs reach about 110°F. Deep shade cuts the flowers. Left unpruned it gets woody and sprawling, so cut it back every late winter.
- 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.
Does autumn sage need full sun or shade in Phoenix?
Give it morning sun with afternoon shade, or the filtered shade under a desert tree. In the Valley, all-day sun and reflected heat stress it, and deep shade cuts the flowers. Full sun suits higher elevations.
How big does Autumn Sage Red get?
About 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, as a mounding, bushy shrub. It grows at a moderate to fast pace.
How far apart should I plant autumn sage?
Plant about 2 feet apart for a massed bed, or 3 feet apart for a border. The Spacing tab shows both.
How often should I water autumn sage?
Water a new plant every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks, then stretch it to about every 10 to 14 days by the second month. Once rooted it needs low to moderate water, with less in winter. Regular summer water keeps it blooming better.
When does autumn sage bloom in Phoenix?
Mostly in spring and again in fall. In the low desert, flowering slows down in the heat of summer. A trim in mid-summer sets it up for a strong fall bloom.
When and how do you prune autumn sage?
Cut it back in late winter or early spring, by about half or hard to about 4 to 6 inches. Trim spent flower spikes to keep it blooming. Cut it back by about half again in August.
Why is my autumn sage woody and leggy?
Autumn sage tends to sprawl and get woody and spindly without pruning. A yearly cutback in late winter renews it and keeps it dense.
Does autumn sage attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds come to the red flower spikes through spring and fall. Butterflies and bees visit the flowers too.
How cold hardy is autumn sage?
It is rated hardy to somewhere between 0°F and 15°F, and it keeps its leaves through a Valley winter. Save the big cutback for late winter, after the coldest nights.
Do rabbits eat autumn sage?
Rabbits and deer tend to leave it alone. The leaves have an herbal, minty sage scent when you brush them.
What colors does autumn sage come in?
Red and pink are the most common, and there are white, purple, orange, peach and other colors too. This page is the red form. We also carry pink, hot pink, Furman's Red and Hot Lips.
What are the foamy spots on my autumn sage?
Those are spittlebugs, the most common pest on autumn sage. They do little harm to the plant. Trim off the stems they are on if they bother you.
Autumn Sage - Red for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Autumn Sage Red is the red form of autumn sage, a tough small flowering shrub for Southwestern gardens. It blooms hardest in spring and fall, keeps its leaves through a Valley winter, and brings hummingbirds in. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from sun and shade to spacing, water, pruning and cold.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Can you grow autumn sage in Phoenix?
Yes. Autumn sage is a tough, adaptable plant for Southwestern gardens. In the Valley, the key is shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer and soil that drains.
Does autumn sage need sun or shade in the low desert?
Morning sun with afternoon shade works best in the low desert. An east-facing bed or the filtered shade under a palo verde both suit it. Reflected heat and all-day sun stress it, and heavy shade means fewer flowers.
How far apart do you plant autumn sage?
Space plants about 2 feet apart for a massed bed, or 3 feet apart for a border or row. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
When to prune autumn sage in Arizona
Cut it back in late winter or early spring, by about half or down to about 4 to 6 inches. Trim spent flower spikes through the season. A second cut by about half in August sets up the fall bloom.
When does autumn sage bloom in Phoenix?
It blooms mostly in spring and again in fall. Flowering slows in the heat of a low desert summer. A trim in August sets up the fall flush.
Does autumn sage attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the red flowers through spring and fall. Butterflies and bees visit as well.
How often to water autumn sage in Arizona
Water more often for the first couple of months, then deeply and less often. Once rooted it needs low to moderate water, with less in winter. Regular summer water keeps it looking better and blooming more.
Red autumn sage vs other colors
Autumn sage comes in red, pink, white, purple, orange, peach and more. Red and pink are the most common. Hot Lips is a red and white form sold alongside them.
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.