Name: Scarlet Sage Seeds (Salvia coccinea) - Native Wildflower
Brand: NativeFloraSeeds.org
SKU: 069
Price: 4.0 USD
Availability: InStock

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🌺 Experience the Vibrant Beauty of Scarlet Sage

Discover the spectacular charm of Salvia coccinea, a stunning native annual that creates masses of brilliant red tubular flowers from summer through fall. This heat-loving wildflower is a hummingbird magnet, bringing both dazzling color and incredible wildlife activity to your garden with its continuous blooms and irresistible nectar.

✨ Key Features:

Height: 1-3 feet tall with bushy, upright habit
Bloom Time: June through October (continuous blooming)
Flower Color: Brilliant scarlet-red tubular flowers
Native Range: Southeastern United States
Life Cycle: Annual that readily self-seeds
Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade

🦋 Outstanding Wildlife Benefits:

Hummingbird magnet - Essential nectar source for ruby-throated hummingbirds
Attracts butterflies, native bees, and beneficial insects
Long blooming period provides consistent pollinator support
Seeds provide food for birds through fall and winter
Heat-tolerant blooms when many other flowers struggle

🌱 Easy Growing Guide:

Soil: Well-drained soils, tolerates poor conditions
Heat Tolerance: Excellent for hot, humid climates
Maintenance: Low maintenance, deadhead for continued blooms
Germination: Direct sow in spring after frost danger passes
Spacing: Plant 12-18 inches apart for mass displays

🏡 Garden Uses:

Perfect for hummingbird gardens, cottage gardens, cutting gardens, and naturalized areas. Creates stunning displays in containers and mixed borders.

Transform your garden into a hummingbird paradise while enjoying months of brilliant red blooms. This heat-loving native brings both spectacular color and essential wildlife habitat to sustainable gardens.

Height 1–3 feet

Full Sun (afternoon shade in hot climates)

Water Low (drought tolerant once established)

Bloom Time Summer to Frost

Stratification Not Needed

Soil Well-drained, adaptable

Attracts Hummingbirds, Butterflies, Bees

Salvia coccinea (Scarlet Sage) is a vibrant and attractive plant that's sure to add a splash of color to your garden. Here's a guide to planting it from seed:

Site Selection
Sunlight: Scarlet Sage thrives in full sun, needing at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. However, in very hot climates, it can benefit from some afternoon shade.
Soil: Well-drained soil is crucial. It can tolerate a variety of soil types, including sandy, loamy, and clay soils, as long as the drainage is good. Amend heavy clay soils with compost or other organic matter.
Space: These plants typically grow 1-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide, so space them accordingly.

Direct Sowing Outdoors
Fall Planting: In warmer climates (USDA zones 8-10), you can sow seeds directly outdoors in the fall.
Preparation: Clear the area of weeds and debris. Lightly loosen the top layer of soil.
Planting Depth: Sow seeds very shallowly, barely covering them with a thin layer of soil or sand, as they need light to germinate.
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist, but not soggy, until seedlings emerge.

Spring Planting: In cooler climates, sow seeds outdoors in spring after the last frost.

Preparation: Prepare the seedbed as described above.
Planting Depth: Sow seeds as described above.
Watering: Water regularly until seedlings are established.

Starting Seeds Indoors
Timing: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost in your area.
Stratification: Stratification is not required for Salvia coccinea seeds.
Planting:
Use a seed starting mix. Sow seeds very shallowly in seed starting trays or pots.
Keep the soil moist and provide warmth (70-75°F) for germination. Light is important.
Transplanting: Once seedlings have a few sets of true leaves and the weather has warmed (after the last frost), transplant them outdoors. Harden them off gradually before transplanting.

Maintenance Tips
Watering: Once established, Scarlet Sage is relatively drought-tolerant. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out somewhat between waterings.
Fertilizing: They generally don't need much fertilizer. A light application of a balanced fertilizer in spring is sufficient.
Pinching: Pinching back the tips of stems in late spring can encourage bushier growth.
Deadheading: Deadheading spent flowers can encourage more blooms and prevent self-seeding if you don't want it to spread.

Invasiveness
Salvia coccinea is native to the southeastern United States and is not generally considered invasive. However, it can self-seed in favorable conditions. If you want to control its spread, remove seed pods before they mature.
Additional Notes

Scarification: Scarification is not usually necessary for Salvia coccinea seeds.
Pollinators: Scarlet Sage is a great plant for attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees to your garden.
Deer Resistance: Salvias are generally deer-resistant.

Important Considerations
Good drainage is key to success.
Provide adequate spacing to allow for air circulation.
With these guidelines, you should be able to grow beautiful Scarlet Sage in your garden!

Salvia coccinea

Scarlet Sage

Native Plant Map

Dark Green indicates the plant is native within the state, yellow rare, the lime green indicates where the plant is native and seen more within a state.

Terrible

Never got my order and I paid for shipping weeks ago.

Hello Ryan, We received youir order Sept. 19th and it was shipped out to you Sept. 19 via USPS First Class Mail. We are very sorry you have not received. First Class main has no tracking. We can resend if you don't receive in the next couple days. Please consider changing your rating of '1'.

Seeds for butterflies

Was thrilled when my seeds arrived earlier than expected. Excited for happy butterflies and caterpillars. Thank you

Christmas present

I got these seeds to give my daughter for Christmas because she loves hatching out the butterflies that come into her yard. I received them sooner than what was expected and that was very surprising. This was a very pleasant experience dealing with this company I will definitely buy from them again.

Recent purchase

I have written by email twice but no response. This review was sent to me. My recent purchase not one of seeds of all the packets has had germination (15 days after placing). I will try again differently but had read I could put seeds directly on prepared area & lightly step on them then water softly spraying. I’ve done this regularly. I am hopeful that perhaps my ground needs to be cooler. I am in zone 9 & I bought for my area. I would like to retry & not out all seeds into it but would like to retry by winter sowing in translucent gallon milk jugs.
Every morning it’s coffee & a prayer but nothing yet & heartbroken. Lots of soul preparing & $60.00
Please think of calling me or offering advice & replacement free or discount. Thanks

Your order contained many different seed types. Many require a stratification which either has them in the ground through the winter and they should germinate and sprout in the spring... or... you could put them in a damp paper towel and in the refrigitator for 2-3 months and then plant them in the spring. Other plants require light to germinate where others do not. We have a high quality of seeds but there is always a chance they will not germinate. We typically have more seeds in our packets than published and we also provide a free packet of sunflowers seeds. If you feel your order did not meet the quality you expected, we will replace your seeds. I hope you will see them grow and attract the butterfly's and humming birds in the spring.

Thanks for getting my order to me as the first order was not received

Frequently asked questions

Why didn't my seeds germinate?

Most of the time, the seeds aren't dead. They're waiting. Many native wildflowers have built-in dormancy that keeps them from sprouting until they've been through a winter. If they skip that cold, moist period, they can sit in the soil and do nothing. Other common causes:

Planted too deep. Many native seeds are tiny and need light to germinate. Press them onto the soil surface instead of burying them.
The soil dried out. Seeds need steady moisture for the first few weeks after they start to wake up.
Not enough time. Some natives sprout within weeks. Others take a full season or longer, and a few come up the following spring.
Competition. Weeds and turf grass can crowd out seedlings before you notice them.

If your seeds haven't come up, don't dig up or till the area. Mark the spot, keep the weeds down, and give it another season. Many "failed" plantings fill in the next spring.

When is the best time to plant native seeds?

For most native wildflowers, late fall through early winter is the best time. Sowing then copies what happens in nature: the seeds drop in autumn, go through winter cold and moisture, and sprout when the soil warms in spring. Plant after your first hard frost, so the seeds don't sprout early and get killed by the cold.

If you miss fall, you can still plant in spring. Seeds that need a cold period will do better if you cold stratify them first. Mix them with damp sand or vermiculite, seal them in a labeled bag, and keep them in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 days before sowing. Check each seed's product page or packet QR code for its own instructions, since needs vary by species.

Why aren't my native plants blooming in the first year?

That's normal. Most native perennials put their first year or two into building deep roots, not flowers. Those roots are what make native plants tough, drought-tolerant, and long-lived once they're established. A common rule of thumb is "first year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap." Be patient, keep weeds under control, and let the plants settle in. The blooms are worth the wait.

Scarlet Sage Seeds (Salvia coccinea) - Native Wildflower