Description

An attractive, late blooming variety with an upright habit and large dark green leaves; tall, fuzzy red spikes crowded with reddish-orange blooms in fall; ; a beautiful addition to borders or containers

Landscape Attributes

Red Velvet Sage is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced garden composition.

Red Velvet Sage is recommended for the following landscape applications;

Planting & Growing

Red Velvet Sage will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity extending to 6 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 6 feet. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Red Velvet Sage is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.