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Annual & Tender Perennials
Annual & Tender Perennials

Capable of quick growth and floriferous long-lasting bloom, tender perennial Salvias are a don't-miss addition to an annual flowerbed. Although perennial in the warmer climates of their native lands, tender or half-hardy perennials are planted as annuals in locations where frosts and freezes are likely to occur in fall, winter and spring.

However, many gardeners in cooler climes who choose to plant tender perennials do so because they like to vary the look of their annual beds from one season to the next. One essential difference to keep in mind when growing tender perennial Salvias is that some reseed and others do not.

In our opinion, the tender perennial sages Salvia coccinea, Salvia splendens and Salvia vanhouttei put on some of the most spectacular and lengthiest shows of bloom. The last two species offer a somewhat broader color range, including purples, and are so closely related that S. vanhouttei is sometimes listed as S. splendens 'Van Houttei'.

Range of colors aside, both S. coccinea and S. splendens frequently are called Scarlet Sage. Don't confuse them, because S. coccinea reseeds. If you want to clear your annual bed and start fresh each year, S. splendens and S. vanhouttei may be best. But if you love volunteer plants, S. coccinea is the ticket. We offer all at low prices you can count on as annual bargains.

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(Indigo Spires Sage) Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ gains its name from long spikes of rich, deep purple-blue flowers that stand tall and also arch and twist gracefully. It is a chance hybrid discovered  growing amid Salvia farinacea and Salvia longispicata at Southern California's Huntington Gardens.

(Amethyst Sage) Growing up to 12 inches long, the triangular basal leaves of Salvia amethystina subsp. ampelophylla are the largest we know among sages. They have long silky hairs on their undersides and are fragrant when bruised.

(Elk Giant Chiapas Sage) This is a mega version of one of our favorite partial-shade Salvias. It's larger in all ways that the species, with inflorescence up to 2 feet long. Because of it's spread it is not suitable for small areas, but will delight gardeners and hummingbirds alike when given room to grow.

(Brenthurst Tropical Sage)Tropical Sage is popular as an annual throughout America and as a perennial in warm zones. It is particularly beloved in the Deep South where it withstands heat, wind, heavy rains and excessive humidity to bloom prolifically season after season. Brenthurst is a coral-flowered cultivar with dramatic, dark bracts and bright green, heart-shaped leaves.

(Coral Nymph Tropical Sage) What a cutie! This award-winning cultivar of Tropical Sage is short and compact yet has a multitude of pastel salmon flowers larger than those of its bigger cousins. It is perfect for annual flower beds or patio containers.

(Forest Fire Tropical Sage) Butterflies love the abundant, fire engine red flowers of this mostly annual sage. It's a popular cultivar of one of the first Salvias used for ornamental purposes -- Tropical Sage. The flowers are dramatically framed by reddish black bracts.

(Lady in Red Tropical Sage) Lady in Red is a variety of Salvia coccinea Juss. ex Murray, which is often called Texas Sage. It is the best red-flowering Tropical Sage that we grow.

(Snow Nymph White Tropical Sage) Butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees enjoy this award winner, which is an outstanding choice for pure white color from June to autumn. This type of Tropical Sage is generally the first to flower for us.

(Summer Jewel Pink Tropical Sage) Butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees enjoy this Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner, which is an outstanding choice for bright pink & white color from June to autumn. This type of Tropical Sage is generally the first to flower for us.

(Summer Jewel Red Tropical Sage) Butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees enjoy this Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner, which is an outstanding choice for bright red color from June to autumn. This type of Tropical Sage is generally the first to flower for us.

(Summer Jewel White Tropical Sage) Butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees enjoy this All American 2016 winner, which is an outstanding choice for pure white color from June to autumn. The Summer Jewel varieties of Tropical Sage is generally the first to flower for us.

(Elk Magenta Hybrid Sage)  Combining the best characteristics of both parents, this robust, large leafed hybrid has deep magenta and white flowers that delight hummingbirds.

(Roman Red Sage) This handsome, long blooming hybrid sage features a dramatic combination of scarlet flowers and deep rust-to-merlot calyxes. Deadheading spent blossoms prolongs bloom time.

(Fashion Burgundy Sage) Pendulous deep burgundy blossoms and dark bracts attract the eye to Salvia Fashion Burgundy™. Although similar looking to an Australian Wish Sages, it is more compact than the Wishes or the Skyscraper series.

(Fashion Cherry Sage) Pendulous cherry-red blossoms and dark bracts make Salvia Fashion Cherry™ an eyecatcher. Although it looks like an Australian Wish Sage, it’s a cross between North and South American species.

(Cundinamarca Sage) This Colombian Salvia is difficult to obtain outside of its home country. As far as we know, Flowers by the Sea is the first nursery to offer it in the United States.

(Violet Calyx Sage) Here's another abundantly blooming sage from the cloud forest slopes of Chiapas, Mexico. Violet beelines mark the lower lip of the crimson blossoms, which are so numerous that it can be difficult to see the foliage at times.

(Bolivian Mountain Sage) Neon lilac-pink flowers light up the handsome, furry foliage of this distinctive sage from high in the Andes cloud forests. Its large, textured leaves have dark, velvety purple undersides. Unhappy in dry heat, this is a very showy plant for humid climates.

(Tall Red Colombian Sage) Salvia rubescens subsp. dolichothrix may tower over your head when in full bloom with its creamy red trumpet blossoms and dark calyxes. Its leaves are large and attractively textured.

(Smith College Mystery Sage) This mysterious species came to us via Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.  We refer to it as "Mystery Sage" as the origins of this fine plant are unclear.

(Mystery Peruvian Sage) Airy spikes of fuzzy, bright orange-red flowers and grassy green calyxes mark this Peruvian sage as a mystery worth pursuing. Little is certain about its parentage.

(Sao Borja Scarlet Sage) Three-inch-long, smokey purple blossoms that bloom from spring to fall are a major clue that this heat-tolerant perennial is not your grandmother's Scarlet Sage.

(Burgundy Scarlet Sage) Blood red to burgundy, the drooping blossoms of this sturdy, long flowering Salvia are the first that anyone comments on in a mixed planting. Use it singly as a dramatic garden accent or container plant; mass it for a stunning effect.

(Variegated Scarlet Sage) Crimson flowers topping bright yellow foliage mottled with deep green make this one of the most spectacular Salvias we grow.

(Elk Giant Orange Scarlet Sage) This is the largest variety we know of, a true giant that can reach over 8 feet tall. The floral display if equally gigantic, with displays sometimes 16 inches long. And orange - no doubt about it a vivid orange that is a beacon to hummingbirds.

(Elk White Scarlet Sage) The first tall white Salvia splendens variety, this new introduction from Flowers by the Sea is vigorous and free flowering all season long.

(Faye Chapel Scarlet Sage) A vivid red, the drooping blossoms of this sturdy, long flowering Salvia are large and numerous. Use it singly as a dramatic garden accent or container plant; mass it for a stunning effect. This is an heirloom plant from the Atlantic Coast, where it has been grown as a hummingbird plant for decades.

(Giant Brazilian Sage) Yes, this one is gigantic. The first season we grew this heat-tolerant sage, it reached 8 feet tall by July! Masses of small, red-orange, trumpet-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds and honeybees to long, upward curving flower spikes towering over heart-shaped foliage.

(Big Blue Sage) This new seed-grown strain can best be described as a much improved Indigo Spires Sage. It has deep blue-green, corrugated leaves and lots of deep blue flower spikes that bloom from summer till the end of the growing season. 

(Ember's Wish Sage) Bright coral-colored, tubular blossoms contrast handsomely with the deep maroon stems, rusty rose calyxes and mid-green foliage of Ember's Wish Sage.

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