Hot Lips Salvia (Salvia Microphylla) is a unique, evergreen bushy sage with bright white and red flowers. Learn how to care for them in this guide!
These one of a kind two toned flowers adorn thin stalks with diamond shaped green leaves.
Tubular in shape, the Hot Lips flower is a frequent destination for hummingbirds and pollinators. They feature bright white and red blooms and soft green aromatic foliage.
Hot Lips salvia (Salvia microphylla) is a gorgeous flowering perennial loved for its two-toned red and white blooms. As the blooms fade over time, many gardeners wonder whether they need to deadhead this salvia. So do you need to deadhead Hot Lips salvia?
The answer is yes – deadheading is highly recommended for Hot Lips salvia. By removing spent flowers, you can encourage continuous blooming throughout the season.
What is Deadheading?
Deadheading refers to removing faded, dying, or dead flowers from plants It involves pinching or cutting off the wilted blooms just above a set of healthy leaves using pruners or your fingers
Deadheading tricks the plant into thinking it has not successfully reproduced This prevents the plant from wasting energy on producing seeds and redirects that energy into forming new flower buds instead
Why Deadhead Hot Lips Salvia
There are several key reasons you should make deadheading part of your Hot Lips salvia care:
-
Promotes more blooms – Deadheading stops seed production and signals the plant to keep blooming. Hot Lips salvia will flower for longer when deadheaded.
-
Improves appearance – Removing ugly, dead blooms keeps your salvia looking fresh and tidy.
-
Encourages bushy growth – Deadheading causes the plant to branch out laterally, making it bushier and more compact.
-
Deters diseases – Getting rid of dead flower debris improves airflow and sanitation, preventing fungal issues.
-
Boosts plant health – Forcing the plant to continue flowering ensures it stays vigorously growing and productive.
When to Deadhead Hot Lips
It’s best to deadhead Hot Lips salvia flowers as soon as you notice them fading, wilting, discoloring or drooping. Don’t wait until blooms completely dry out and turn brown.
Aim to deadhead at least once a week during peak flowering. This will keep your salvia perpetually covered in fresh, beautiful blooms into the fall.
How to Deadhead Hot Lips
Deadheading Hot Lips salvia properly is easy to do:
-
Use clean, sterilized pruners or scissors to remove spent blooms. Pulling them off by hand can damage the plant.
-
Always cut back to just above a set of full, healthy leaves. Avoid leaving stubby stems.
-
Snip blooms off in the morning or evening when the plant is dry to prevent disease spread.
-
Discard removed debris in the trash or compost – don’t leave it around the plant.
-
After deadheading, wash tools with soapy water and rinse well.
-
Apply fertilizer to nourish the plant for re-blooming. Use an all-purpose or blooming fertilizer.
-
Group deadhead plants together for efficiency rather than spot deadheading.
-
Stay diligent with weekly deadheading for best results.
Deadheading Alternatives
If deadheading seems too tedious, you can:
-
Leave faded blooms on plants over winter. Trim off old growth in early spring.
-
Cut back the entire salvia by 1/3 after initial flowering. New growth will sprout below.
However, these methods won’t stimulate re-blooming as well as routine deadheading.
Additional Hot Lips Care Tips
Along with deadheading, here are some other tips for caring for Hot Lips salvia:
-
Plant in full sun (provide afternoon shade in hot climates).
-
Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
-
Prune lightly in early spring to shape and remove dead stems.
-
Divide congested plants every 2-3 years in early spring.
-
Use a balanced fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season.
-
Provide good winter drainage and ample ventilation.
-
Monitor for common salvia pests like spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies.
Avoid These Deadheading Mistakes
When deadheading Hot Lips salvia, be sure to avoid these common errors:
-
Deadheading too early before blooms are spent or too late when flowers are dried out.
-
Cutting stems too short resulting in stubby, stunted growth.
-
Leaving cut blooms and stems on the ground around plants.
-
Using unclean, dull pruners that can damage stems.
-
Forgetting to fertilize after deadheading to nourish the plant.
-
Allowing deadheaded debris to remain in the garden.
-
Skipping weekly deadheading needed for continuous blooming.
The Bottom Line
Deadheading is strongly recommended for Hot Lips salvia to maximize flowering. Removing spent blooms before seed heads form redirects the plant’s energy into generating more buds and blooms instead of seeds.
Aim to snip off faded flowers just above leaf nodes at least once a week all season long. This simple task will keep your Hot Lips salvia blanketed in vibrant blooms into the fall!
Commercially Available To Plant and Grow
Hot Lips salvia is a variety of sage that has been in commercial horticulture since the 1990’s. It is well loved for it’s unique flower, ability to attract pollinators and for its earthy aroma and spicy mint smelling leaves.
Medium in size, unique sun loving hot lips is a versatile and hardy plant to add to your beds. Expect this bold plant to stir up conversation with friends and family, and keep the birds and bees buzzing!
Due to craving heat and an aversion to frosts, Hot Lips salvia can be grown as a perennial in zones 7-10.
In cooler climates you can enjoy hot lips as an annual, and/or take measures to protect your plant from harsh winters. Using a container, you can move your hot lips indoors overwinter before the first frost.
How To Care For Hot Lips Salvia
Plant these busy sage plants in well-drained soil in a full sun area. Grow Hot Lips salvia alongside other heat loving plants such as lavender and cosmos. They do very well in a low-water garden.
Hot Lips saliva is a popular plant because they are low maintenance with unique blooms. Keep reading to learn more about how to care for these herbaceous evergreen plants.
Hot Lips salvia is a siren for hummingbirds… you’ll find your feathered friends absolutely LOVE to visit this bold plant for a drink of sweet nectar. A flowering perennial, hot lips will bring the hummingbirds back year after year with proper planting and care (bonus: it’s not a hard plant to please).
These plants are also deer resistant and attract bees and butterflies as well.
This article discusses everything you need to know about planting this salvia variety in your yard or cottage garden and encouraging it to thrive!
How and When to Prune Three Types of Salvias – including Leucantha and Hot Lips
FAQ
Do you cut down hot lips after flowering?
Deadheading is particularly important for ‘Hot Lips’ salvia to promote continuous blooming. As the flowers fade, pinch or cut off the spent blooms just above a pair of healthy leaves or buds. This practice encourages the plant to produce more flowers throughout the season.
Are you supposed to deadhead salvias?
As Lyndi says, deadheading is important for salvias because it will encourage the plants to put their energy into producing new flowers and blooming over a longer period, rather than going to seed.
How do you take care of hot lips turtlehead?
Hot Lips Turtlehead requires wet soils, so it must be watered if regular natural water is scarce. Mulching around the Chelone lyonii hot lips will help conserve moisture. Pinch stems in spring to prevent leggy growth and avoid staking. Plants may be divided every few years.
What to do with hot lips in winter?
“Water well, cut back the foliage and keep in a cold greenhouse over winter. It will be ready to plant back outside the following late spring.”