Salvia (Scarlet Sage) in Zone 11a & 11b

Salvia splendens

When to plant salvia (scarlet sage) in zone 11b

Zones 11a and 11b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Start indoors: Start indoors from seed, then transplant outside. Salvia (Scarlet Sage) needs a head start most zones can't give it by direct-sowing alone.

Start indoorsNov 6–Nov 13
Direct sow / transplant outsideJan 15–Jan 22
Estimated bloomApr 5–Apr 12 (~80 days after transplanting)

Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1-1.5 ft.

Salvia (Scarlet Sage)
Photo: 松岡明芳 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.

Salvia (scarlet sage) is a long-season bloomer that doesn't quit. Once established it flowers steadily from late spring until frost, which makes it one of the more reliable season-long pollinator draws in the garden. The flowers themselves are narrow, upright spikes of tubular blooms, usually red, packed onto 1.5- to 3-foot plants.

How salvia (scarlet sage) fits zone 11's season

Zone 11b is frost-free in this dataset, so frost is not what limits the calendar here. What you can plant, and when, comes down to summer heat and daylength instead.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Salvia (Scarlet Sage).

Where to buy salvia seeds

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See it growing

Search YouTube for "growing salvia (scarlet sage)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)

← Back to the full zone 11b calendar · Full companion planting guide · Full plant profile · Plan your beds in the Garden Designer →

Growing Salvia (Scarlet Sage) in USDA zone 11b

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Growing Salvia (Scarlet Sage) in USDA zone 11b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a bloom.

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