The Best Salvias for the Southwest

These fragrant, drought tolerant nativars will bloom from spring through fall

If you ’re like me and favour that your perennial power on through the detent days of summertime and well into dusk , salvias ( Salviaspp . and cvs . , zone 5–11 ) are the way to go . These wonderful flora start display beautiful colouration as early on as recent spring in the Southwest and bear on bloom till the first frost .

The many strengths of salvias

Salviais the with child genus of plants in the mint menage , Lamiaceae . The typical odor and sense of taste of salvias are what keep most critters from feasting on their blooms . Salvias attract butterflies and hummingbirds and are deer and rabbit repellent . The following are a few low - maintenance salvia nativars that bring home the bacon fragrant foliage and flowers and have extended bloom periods . Plant salvias in areas that receive full sun in former summertime to allow origin to establish well before winter temperature make it . With so many dissimilar size , colors , and soma to opt from , one of these selections is certain to outfit your garden .

‘Maraschino’ salvia

Salvia‘Maraschino ’ , Zones 6–10

This salvia starts blooming in summer with a spectacular display of cryptical cherry - carmine flower . sunrise sun with good afternoon shade is prefer , especially in hotter localization . ‘ maraschino cherry ’ is beloved by hummingbirds and is drought insubordinate . It turn over 3 foundation tall and 1½ feet full at due date .

Raspberry Delight®salvia

Salvia‘Raspberry Delight ’ , Zones 6–10

Raspberry Delight ® is a sensational native salvia hybrid with aromatic leafage that has a sweet , herbal perfume . This salvia has a summer - long blossom period with gorgeous snort - ruby flush . It ’s an promiscuous - to - grow , low - maintenance plant life , preferring full sun and having lowly water supply needs . Raspberry Delight ® reaches 3 feet tall and 3 foot wide at maturity . Its flowers attract hummingbird as well as other wench and pollinator .

‘Cold Hardy Pink’ autumn sage

Salvia greggii‘Cold Hardy pinkish ’ , Zones 6–10

‘ Cold dauntless Pink ’ fall sage aspire to please with its long - blooming deeply pink flowers . It ’s drouth resistive and prefer full sun with light irrigation . This salvia reaches 18 to 20 inches tall and 18 to 24 inch spacious . It ’s a gravid container nominee , with flowers that blossom all the mode from late outflow to early fall .

‘Hot Lips’ littleleaf salvia

Salvia microphylla‘Hot Lips ’ , Zones 7–10

This salvia is a long - flower assortment with eye - catching red - and - clean bicolor blooms . I planted ‘ Hot Lips ’ in my front garden and entry containers this yr . I ’m so happy with the answer . It powered through the blaze summer temperatures and was still flower in late October , with bees continue to buzz around it through late fall . This is a endearing container industrial plant that still permit you to contribute companion plants around it . It thrives in rock gardens as well . ‘ Hot Lips ’ grows good in full sun and does n’t require a lot of piss . It grows 3 to 4 feet magniloquent and 2 to 3 feet wide with fragrant foliage .

These salvias have too many benefits to overlook , especially for our neighborhood of the land . Your garden will expand with wonderful , long - blooming flowers summer after summer if you instal a generous intermixture of these beautiful plants . Remember to institute early to get strong root systems before winter . Avoid planting later than July for good event in cooler Southwest zone .

— Mark Brotton , APLD , owns and maneuver Living Water , Irrigation , and Landscape based in Santa Fe , New Mexico .

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