Scarlet Sage "Hummingbird Sage" (Salvia coccinea) Seeds – Native Wildflower, Bright Red Blooms, Heat & Drought Tolerant, Deer-Resistant

Minimum: 50+ Seeds

The Hummingbird Magnet That Ignores Heat

While other flowers wilt under summer's worst, Scarlet Sage just keeps blooming, sending up spikes of brilliant red flowers that hummingbirds track down from a distance. This native wildflower thrives in exactly the heat and drought that shut down less resilient annuals, flowering nonstop from early summer into fall without asking for much beyond sun. Deer generally leave it alone, pollinators can't, and it self-seeds readily enough to return year after year, a genuine low-maintenance workhorse for hot, dry gardens.

Who Grows Scarlet Sage?
The hummingbird gardener wanting a genuine, reliable magnet for hummingbird visits all summer.
The heat and drought-prone climate gardener needing a plant that performs through summer stress.
The native wildflower gardener wanting an authentic species for a naturalized bed.

What This Heat-Tolerant Native Wildflower Actually Is
Salvia coccinea, called scarlet sage or hummingbird sage, is a native wildflower found across the southeastern and south-central US, grown as an annual or short-lived perennial depending on climate. Plants grow bushy and upright, 1 to 3 feet tall, with soft, slightly fuzzy foliage and tall spikes of tubular, bright red flowers blooming continuously from early summer until frost. Its tubular flower shape suits hummingbird pollination, and the plant is a reliable draw for hummingbirds throughout the season, alongside bees and butterflies. It tolerates heat, humidity, and drought exceptionally well once established, and its aromatic foliage makes it generally unappealing to deer. Hardy as a perennial in zones 8 through 11, grown as a heat-loving annual elsewhere and often self-seeding where conditions allow.

In the Garden & Landscape

• Hummingbird garden: Plant in drifts near a window or seating area for close-up hummingbird visits.
• Heat and drought landscaping: Use in a bed that bakes in summer sun where many annuals struggle.
• Deer-resistant border: Plant where deer pressure limits other flowering options.
• Pollinator support: Let plants bloom continuously from summer to frost for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds.
• Native wildflower planting: Include as an authentic species in a native or naturalized bed.
• Self-seeding annual patch: Let some plants go to seed for a returning, naturalizing colony.

Growing Scarlet Sage Seeds

• Start method: Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after frost danger passes.
• Germination: Sprouts in 14-21 days; light aids germination, so press seed rather than burying deep.
• Soil temperature: Best 70-80°F.
• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade.
• Soil: Tolerates poor, average, sandy soil; avoid rich or wet ground.
• Watering: Drought-tolerant once established; water sparingly beyond the first weeks.
• Spacing: Space plants 12-18 inches apart for bushy growth.
• Bloom time: Flowers continuously from early summer to first frost.
• Deadheading: Not required for continued bloom, though it tidies plants and encourages fuller growth.
• Self-seeding: Reseeds readily in favorable climates, often returning without replanting.
• Hardiness: Perennial in zone 8 and warmer; grown as a heat-loving annual in colder climates.
• Heat tolerance: Genuinely thrives in high heat and humidity that stress other flowering annuals.

Before You Close This Page
This is the flower that performs hardest exactly when the garden needs it most, blooming nonstop through the hottest, driest stretch of summer while hummingbirds check in daily. Scarlet Sage delivers months of vivid red bloom, genuine drought tolerance, and a reputation deer generally respect, all from an easy native wildflower grown from seed. It self-seeds where welcome and asks for little beyond sun once established. Grow the sage that turns brutal summer heat into its best season.