Hummingbird Sage

Hummingbird Sage
Salvia coccinea ‘Cherry Blossom’
Synonyms: Texas Sage, Scarlet Sage, 'Coral Nymph'

This plant looked familiar to me and when I found out it is the same plant as ‘Coral Nymph’ I knew why. Under either name this plant is a beauty that gives an unusual color with an upright but dwarf habit. It grows to 15 inches tall and is an annual in Connecticut’s climate. I grew some last year and didn’t get any seedlings but it does supposedly reseed itself, maybe that is just in warm climates where it is a tender perennial.

The delicate color makes a nice contrast with darker colored plants but it can also stand by itself in a mass. I have found it grows well in containers, too. Sometimes when the real heat starts it needs the tops sheared off to get it started blooming again.

At The New York Botanical Garden the Salvia coccinea ‘Cherry Blossom’ was planted with Hare's Tail Grass (Lagurus ovatus ‘Bunny Tails’). It is a cute little annual grass that I hadn’t seen before. Reading up it appears to be easy to grow from seed and in the garden. I will have to try some next year.