Well, I haven't been clipping anything and it's definitely not the leaves, so I guess I need to cut them off.

They really look like they are all dying, it's that bad, and I put them in a very prominent location, so I better get to cutting off the old ones to see if it revives them.

teeka

That should do it. Dead flowers don't mean dead plants, so if the leaves still look good, clip those flower stems off, give 'em a little food, and you should have new blooms soon.

Marcia

I'm confused on red salvia....several times I've purchased something called 'red salvia' from big boxes....have had the same problem...never has lasted very long. It had fatter blooms than the red salvia that I finally have now...which was a dying plant at a local (excellent) garden store. The new one, I think, is the native red salvia - it's what I wanted all along, but wasn't savvy enough to realize that not all red salvia are created equal. I wonder if this might be teeka's prob, too??

The fat flowered red salvia is an annual, so it dies every year. The tropical red salvia which has the smaller blooms is the perennial.

Tropical sage (salvia coccinea) is a tender perennial which gets 3 feet or taller and has smallish red blooms. Salvia splendens is the typical bedding salvia which is sold most commonly. It is an annual and stays fairly short and compact. Both come in more colors than just red.

Personally, I don't like salvia splendens nearly as much as I like the bigger, airier looking salvias. It is pretty colorful, but somehow seems a more rigid, upright little plant that doesn't excite me. However, hummers and butterflies like it anyway, and it's just a matter of personal taste.

Here are some pictures to help you differentiate. (BTW, there are HUNDREDS of salvias in lots of colors, leaf types, and sizes.)

Salvia splendens in several colors (bedding salvia, red salvia):

And a row of salvia splendens to show plant form:

Salvia coccinea in a pink form:

And salvia coccinea Lady In Red, same as plant above, but in a different color:

The term "red sage" or "red salvia" really doesn't tell you much at all, since many are red, including pineapple sage and more. With salvias, you almost have to learn some of the Latin names to keep them straight. Hope this helps a little bit.

Marcia

I definitely have the salvia splendens(annual) and I am not really an "annual" type of person, but I wanted to see if I could get the hummingbirds to come.

I will keep an eye out for the perennial since that is something more up my alley.

Thanks again! Learning, as always!

teeka

Hey, Teeka...that was my problem, too...I have TONS of the little pink one, now, and I'd be happy to mail you some seeds...it spreads like wildfire! I'm hoping that my new red one (it looks like the Lady in Red that Marcia posted. If it gets going, I'll save you seeds asap. I'm always trying to get hummingbirds ... don't have a whole lotta luck but usually see one or two for a short time in the winter.

I have all of the above . My Salvia Splendens has returned year after year . Granted - not as full and lush as the first year . Not much is looking good at the moment due to the extreme drought .
I love Pineapple sage and so do the butterflies . It is a great performer every year and does like some water but can get by with a little less as is the case now . The hummers love the candy corn plant blooms .
Lady in Red is looking pretty sad right now but will probably perk right up once the rains return . They will return someday , right ?

Lady, when my salvia coccineas (Lady In Red & Coral Nymph) get to looking too ratty, I usually yank them out and shake them over the bed. New seedlings pop up before you know it. You can cut them back, too, but mine usually never get really pretty again. I do know others have better luck with that. But since it seeds so easily, I just pull and shake, instead.

Marcia

I have been hearing for years about how great the species salvias are, so I finally bought some to try. I got five little Lady in Reds and 4 Black and Blues. They are planted in great soil in a mostly sunny bed with shifting shade. They are doing so poorly! Barely blooming and haven't grown much at all. The Lady in Red's leaves look kind of brown. I haven't been watering as much as the other plants as I thought they didn't like being too wet, and haven't fertilized too much. Should I pamper them like everything else?

I don't know about the extra fertilizer, but with the high temps and drying winds we have had lately, every single plant in my yard is crying out for water. I have a feeling your salvias might need a bit extra now, too. The winds cause real dessication of the plants. It's awful! I'm praying for rain every day, especially now that the monsters among us are deliberately setting wildfires and peoples homes and lives are in danger.

We need a rain dance! In the meantime, I'd say give the salvias the same water as everything else is getting.

Marcia

Marcia~ I am dancing as fast as I can and still no rain! LOL!

I agree they are probably too dry. Salvia coccinea or scarlet sage is very drought tolerant once it is established but will require water when first planted. Also IME I have found the more brutal I am with dead-heading the better it looks! It bushes out prettier and blooms like crazy.