Salvia splendens “Midsummer Bonfire”
Scarlet sage, red sage, brilliant sage: what appears to be its petals are actually its calyces, which remain vivid red long after the flowers have fallen—this is why the plant appears to bloom continuously for months. The “Midsummer Bonfire” selection brings this red to its maximum intensity.
Characteristics:
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Blazing red: upright spikes of bright scarlet red, from June until the first frosts.
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Bushy growth: attractive, compact bushes 30 to 60 cm tall, ideal for borders, flower beds, or containers.
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Drought-resistant: once established, it tolerates hot periods well.
Precautions:
- Perennial in warm climates, it is frost-tender and grown as an annual in our latitudes, except in Mediterranean regions, where it may survive the winter.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun, with plenty of warmth.
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Soil: light, well-drained, and fairly rich. Adding compost is beneficial, but avoid excess nitrogen, which encourages foliage at the expense of the flower spikes. It dislikes stagnant moisture.
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Method: no stratification required. Sow from February to April indoors or under cover, in pots or seed trays, at 20–25 °C. The seeds need light, so barely cover them. Germination in 10 to 20 days. See how to sow seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant after the last frosts, spacing plants 30 cm apart, in light, well-drained soil.
Care advice:
- Water regularly but moderately. Pinch out young plants to encourage well-branched, more floriferous bushes.
- Remove faded flower spikes to encourage flowering until the frosts.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its red tubular flowers are designed for long-tongued pollinators: in our climates, butterflies and hawk moths benefit from them, particularly the hummingbird hawk moth, which feeds while hovering.
- Its uninterrupted flowering until the frosts extends food resources late into the season.
Uses:
- Borders, flower beds, flowering containers, and balcony planters. Its spikes hold up well in bouquets.
Symbolism:
Sage is associated with protection and purification—its name comes from the Latin salvare, meaning to save. The “Midsummer Bonfire” variety evokes the ritual fires of the summer solstice, symbols of light and renewal.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Let a few spikes dry completely on the plant, then shake them over a container: the small black seeds settle at the bottom of the calyces. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Light a Midsummer bonfire in your flower beds, from the beginning of summer until the frosts.
