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Native Plant Society of Texas

Scarlet Sage

Salvia coccinea

Other common name(s):

Tropical Sage, Blood Sage, Red Sage, Indian Fire

Family:

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Grand Prairie, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Southern Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

0.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Semi Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Caliche, Clay, Dry, Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Shrubland, Woodland, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink, Red, White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Maintenance

A perennial that will act like an annual in the colder weather. Will grow in a variety of conditions throughout Texas. Tends to get leggy in rich soils with too much water. Periodically trim to keep it bushy. It may go dormant during hot, dry summers and return in the fall. Or provide supplemental water and afternoon shade in areas where temperatures reach the 100’s in the summer. Re-seeds easily. Can be grown in container gardens. Native habitat: sandy soils in thickets, chaparral, open woods and edges.

Description

Blooms January-December, depending on growing conditions. An upright form with square stems. Red, tubular flowers are clustered on a spike. Aromatic leaves are roughly triangular, hairy, with scalloped edges. Leaf retention depends on the region. The fruit is a nutlet.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 207. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SACO5. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=13665&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=32682#null, 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014., 8) https://rootedin.com/tough-texas-native-plants-for-shade-creating-a-cool-haven-before-the-heat/, 9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvia_coccinea, 10) https://seedsource.com/scarlet-sage/

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed No Treatment Sow seeds outdoors in a well-draining soil and keep them moist until germination. They can also be started indoors. Start transplants from seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the average last frost. Sow seeds shallowly, as they require light to germinate. It takes 2-3 weeks for the seeds to germinate Bag the flowering heads to capture seeds. 1) https://earthone.io/plant/salvia%20coccinea 2) https://www.fnps.org/assets/pdf/pubs/salvia_coccinea_tropicalsage_3_1.pdf
Stem Cutting Remove the lower leaves, and place it in water or moist soil until roots develop. Take a 4-6 inch cutting from a healthy plant, https://earthone.io/plant/salvia%20coccinea
Clump Division Older plants can be divided in spring, or cuttings taken during the growing season. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/scarlet-sage-salvia-coccinea/#:~:text=Scarlet%20sage%20is%20propagated%20by,pulled%20or%20transplanted%20when%20small).

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason