Salvia splendens (Scarlet Sage, Tropical Sage) is a tender herbaceous perennial that is native to Brazil, growing at 2,000 to 3,000 m (6,600 to 9,800 ft) elevation where it is warm year-round and with high humidity. The native plant, rarely seen in cultivation, reaches 1.3 m (4.3 ft) tall. Smaller selections are very popular as bedding plants, seen in shopping malls and public gardens all over the world.^[1][2]

Taxonomy

S. splendens was first described and named in 1822. At that time it was given the common name Lee's Scarlet sage. Before the plant was selected to become dwarf in size, an early Dutch selection named 'Van Houttei' was chosen and is still popular in the horticulture trade.^[1]

Description

S. splendens 'Van Houttei'

The native type is rarely used or described, though it grew from 1.5 to 8 m (4.9 to 26 ft) in height. The most common selections are the dwarf sizes that go by names such as 'Sizzler' and 'Salsa', and planted en masse in gardens and malls. 'Van Houttei' reaches 1 to 1.3 m (3.3 to 4.3 ft) in height. The various types typically have red flowers.^[1]

Named cultivars include S. splendens 'Alba', with white flowers; 'Atropurpurea', with dark violet to purple flowers; 'Atrosanguinea', flowers dark red; 'Bicolor', flowers white and red; 'Bruantii', small, with red flowers; 'Compacta', small, flowers in dense racemes, white or red; 'Grandiflora', large, with large red flowers; 'Issanchon', small, with white flowers striped pink to red; 'Nana', an early-flowering cultivar, with red blossoms; 'Scarlet Pygmy', a very dwarf, early flowering seed race with intense scarlet blossoms; 'Semperflorens', continuous flowering; 'Souchetii', small, with white or red flowers; 'St. John's Fire', dwarf plants with dense, abundant, bright red, early-flowering, long-lasting blossoms; and 'Violacea', flowers dark violet to purple.^[2]

References

Further reading

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Salvia splendens
• UC Berkeley: Observations on Salvia splendens
• Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
• Interview with Daniel Siebert on S. splendens and S. divinorum
• Salvia splendens in Plantarium Database - A Photo Guide.