Salvia coccinea
Family: Lamiaceae
Plant Description: Perennial to 1 m high with ovate leaves 1.5-7 cm long, opposite, and leavs wih toothed margins. Plant aromatic. Flowers in spikelike racemes, the corolla 2-2.5 cm long, bright red, rarely pink or white.
Plant Trivia: Seeds are very viable. Many salvias hybridized and sold in nurseries. They are fine for gardens. They are marked as “Salvia name X other name”
Field Identification: Bright red spike of flowers that are 2 lipped. Crushed leaves are aromatic sometimes minty smelling
Occurrence: Frequent on loamy soils or caliche in pastures and woods, usually in partial shade, do well in sand.
Bloom Period: March-December
Plant Use: Good nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies. Its reseeding attribute makes it and excellent garden or nature garden plant.
Key to the species of Salvia:
- Corolla red……………………………………………………………………………….S. coccinea
Corolla blue or blue-violet…………………………………………………………………….2
2. Plant a shrub……………………………………………………………………S. ballatoiflora
Plant an herb……………………………………………………………………………………………3
3. Flower bracts leafy, exceeding calyxes………………………………….S. texana
Flower bracts shorter than calyxes………………………………….S. farinaceae
stxflora 