Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'
Salvia 'Hot Lips'

Salvia 'Hot Lips'

"Littleleaf sage"

Salvia 'Hot Lips'

1 bare root — £5.95

Spring planting season is currently closed 
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Delivery schedule

Orders placed until 29 February 2025
You can expect your order in February/March 2025

Orders placed 1 March - 15 April 2025
You can expect your order in March/April 2025

Orders placed 16 April - 15 May 2025
You can expect your order within 10 business days

Available for (pre)ordering again in December
Free delivery on UK orders over £50
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Shipping to the UK

UK orders over £50
Free shipping

UK orders under £50
£4.99

Northern Ireland orders under £50
£5.99

More info

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All deliveries are carbon neutral
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Description

Blowing you a kiss from the heart of your summer borders, you'll find it hard not to be drawn in to admire the luscious looks of Salvia 'Hot Lips'. Floating on plentiful stems, a mass of diminutive flowers are ruby red when they first emerge in midsummer, before turning two-tone scarlet and white, opening up to greet you like sweet smiling red hot lips. Later in summer, the flowers of this littleleaf sage become pure white. With three hot looks in one season, this long flowering summer beauty can keep your attention as it breezes effortlessly through summer.

Salvia 'Hot Lips' is a hardy perennial with a compact, shrubby appearance. The delicate, airy racemes of pretty blooms are borne on a fine, twiggy stems which support themselves and stay upright through the season, whilst also padding out a generous amount of border space. For the most floriferous display choose in a full sun position, but this inviting summer perennial can tolerate light partial shade. Like all sage plants, Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' is pretty drought resistant, so will be a smart choice for low-maintenance schemes that still need to provide an inviting pop of colour for weeks on end!

Key features

  • Perfect for pots

  • Comes back every year

  • Fragrant

  • Attractive to wildlife

  • Loved by pollinators

  • Thrives well in full sun

  • In peat-free compost

  • Low maintenance

  • RHS Award (AGM)

  • Drought tolerant

  • Fully hardy

  • Rodent resistant

Specs & details

  • Botanical name

    Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'
    syn. Salvia × jamensis 'Hot Lips'

  • Flower colour

    Hot red, white

  • Plant size

    1

  • Established height

    70cm-1m

  • Established spread

    70cm-1m

  • Plant spacing

    9 plants per m2

  • Leaf colour

    Green

  • Habit

    Clump-forming
    Upright

  • Life cycle

    Perennial

  • Hardiness

    Fully hardy

  • Years to establish

    2-3 years

  • Sunlight

    Full sun
    Partial shade
    Dappled shade

  • Position

    Sheltered
    Exposed

  • Suitable for

    Pots
    Large containers
    Borders
    Gravel gardens
    Wildlife gardens
    Cottage gardens
    Low maintenance gardens

  • Soil acidity

    Any

  • Soil moisture

    Free draining
    Dry

  • Soil type

    Loam
    Sandy
    Stony
    Multipurpose compost
    Loam-based compost

  • RHS Award (AGM)

    Yes

  • Growing skill

    Easy to grow

  • Scented

    Yes

  • Pollinator-friendly

    Yes

  • Mouse resistant

    Yes

  • Rabbit resistant

    Yes

  • Deer resistant

    Yes

  • Toxicity

    No report

Plant calendar

JanFebMarAprMayJuneJulyAugSepOctNovDec
  • Planting
  • Flowering

Useful information

    • Soak the Salvia 'Hot Lips' roots in water for 3-6 hours prior to planting

    • Plant your "Littleleaf sage" bare roots into temporary pots with a multipurpose compost in spring and grow-on in a sheltered spot outdoors

    • Choose a pot which comfortably fits the bare roots. Some have a noticeable crown which should be just below the soil surface with any top growth exposed. Some varieties are a length of root which should be planted lengthways and shallowly (1-2cm deep).

    • Plant out into borders or permanent containers in late spring or early summer once in full growth. Choose a position in sun or shade depending on the variety.

    Read all planting & care instructions

  • Orders placed until 29 February 2025
    You can expect your order in February/March 2025

    Orders placed 1 March - 15 April 2025
    You can expect your order in March/April 2025

    Orders placed 16 April - 15 May 2025
    You can expect your order within 10 business days

Perennials in 1 minute

The beauty of perennial plants doesn’t just lie in their long-lasting flowers and sturdy, resilient nature, but it’s their sheer determination to keep on coming back stronger every year —in year one they’re good, but in future years they’re even better!

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