Plant Finder

Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide

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

Ornamental Features

Red Velvet Sage has masses of beautiful spikes of orange flowers with scarlet calyces rising above the foliage from early to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive large fragrant oval leaves remain dark green in color with pointy creamy white spines throughout the year. The brick red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

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.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Red Velvet Sage is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

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 may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. 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.