General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 7a -17.8 °C (0 °F) to -15 °C (5 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9b
Plant Spread: 24-36 inches
Leaves: Fragrant
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Bi-Color: Red and white
Other: Sometimes all red, and sometimes all white.
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Late fall or early winter
Other: Deadheading flowers ensures more flowering throughout the season.
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Rabbit Resistant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Will not come true from seed
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM
Child plants: one child plant

Image
Common names
  • Blackcurrant Sage
  • Cherry Sage
  • Little Leaf Sage
  • Delta Sage
  • Salvia
Also sold as:
  • Salvia x jamensis 'Hot Lips'

'Hot Lips' was a featured
Plant of the Day for January 29, 2016.
Photo Gallery
Location: Oregon
Date: spring 2012
Location: In backyard garden, Elk Grove, CA
Date: 2014-4-26
Hot Lips salvia
Location: My garden, central NJ, Zone 7A
Date: 2018-06-28
Even on a cool day, this flower is HOT
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA
Date: 2021-10-29
Location: Portugal
Date: 2018-09-29
Salvia greggii 'Hot Lips'
Location: NJ
My hotlips is unstable this year.  Guessing from the temperature

Courtesy Robin's Salvias
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: West Jefferson, North Carolina
Date: 2023-10-04
Location: j c raulston arboretum, ncsu,  raleigh, north carolina
Date: 2021-05-25
Location: Wynyard Hall garden, UK
Date: 2022-07-01
Location: Loki Schmidt Garten - Botanischer Garten der Universitaet Hamburg
Date: 2022-09-13

Date: 2011-08-06
Location: Highland, CA
Date: 2017-06-14
Hummingbirds love lipstick salvia!
Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: 5-13-2020
Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2014-04-26
Location: Gardenfish garden 
Date: May 11 2020
4 year old plant
Location: Loki Schmidt Garten - Botanischer Garten der Universitaet Hamburg
Location: Cary, North Carolina private garden
Date: 2023-06-08
Location: NJ
Can see in the background full red blooms due to the temperature
Location: Gardenfish garden
Date: August 2019
In spring, the boom is bi-colored, in the summer the blooms are u
Location: Loki Schmidt Garten - Botanischer Garten der Universitaet Hamburg
Location: Loki Schmidt Garten - Botanischer Garten der Universitaet Hamburg
Date: 2022-09-13

Date: 2016-10-23

Date: 2016-10-23
this is the closest I could get and still get the seedpod in focu

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: In backyard garden, Elk Grove, CA
Date: 2014-4-26
Hot Lips salvia
Photo by wcgypsy

Date: 2011-09-29
Location: Kerrville, TX
Date: July 2004

Date: 2013-08-22
Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2013-05-29
Salvia \"Hot Lips\" can produce red, white, and red & white bloom
Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2013-05-15
The blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds alike.
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-05-09
Photo by pinkiris
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-11-06
Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-05-27
first spring after autumn planting
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-03-28
Zone 9b. Plants left untrimmed bloom much sooner the next year li
Photo by Horseshoe

Date: 2013-08-26
Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2014-07-20
Location: Coastal San Diego County 
Date: 2017-11-07
Was just a six inch cutting about eight months ago
Photo by kosk0025
Photo by Newyorkrita
Location: Coastal San Diego County 
Date: 2018-03-22

Date: 2011-08-06
Location: Coastal San Diego County 
Date: 2018-03-22

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Date: 2014-01-23
Photo courtesy of Santa Rosa Gardens. Used with permission.
Location: Cherokee County Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden, Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2012-04-30
Location: Cherokee County Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden, Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2012-04-30
Location: AZ
Date: Spring
This blooms until hard frost, it blooms in solid red, solid white
Location: western Oregon
Date: spring 2014

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: western Oregon
Date: spring 2013

Shrubby plant with small blooms center of picture.
Location: Terrell Park
Date: 2014-04-26
Photo by Newyorkrita
Location: Coastal San Diego County 
Date: 4-17-2017
Photo by wcgypsy

Photo Courtesy of Secret Garden Growers.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: My garden in Warrenville, SC
Date: 2016-04-26
Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2013-05-29
One of my favorite salvias for Florida! Drought tolerant and bloo
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-06-12
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-10-23
close-up of flowers and foliage
Location: Coastal San Diego County 
Date: 2017-11-07
Was just a six inch cutting about eight months ago
Photo by kosk0025
Location: Home
Date: 2016-11-02
Location: Botanical Garden Leipzig, Germany
Date: 2022-09-17
Location: Coastal San Diego County 
Date: 3-22-18
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-05-06
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-05-06

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials
Photo by robertduval14
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-04-25
Location: My garden in Kentucky
Date: 2006-09-19
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-04-24
Location: Plano, TX
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-04-29
So far the blooms are all red

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: My garden in Kentucky
Date: 2006-09-07

Date: 2016-10-04
hummer arriving for dinner
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2014-11-09
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2014-11-09
Location: Livermore, CA
Date: Winter - 23Dec2016
Eye-catching Salvia Hot Lips with a hummingbird
Photo by pinkiris
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-04-13

Date: 2016-09-28
Photo by fahte
Location: Plano, TX

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2014-11-09
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2014-07-19
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: 2020-12-31
Hot Lips Salvia cutting, overwintering in Michigan
Location: My garden in Kentucky
Date: 2006-12-30
Location: In backyard garden, Elk Grove, CA
Date: 2014-4-26
Hot lips salvia and hummingbird
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-10-23
used as an annual
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by TomThumb on Oct 3, 2016 8:59 PM concerning plant:
    My favorite plant in my garden, it blooms almost non-stop here in zone 8 from spring till frost, the blooms cover every bit of it, and it attracts the hummers like crazy. Anywhere I take this plant with me, I'm sure to make some winged friends. I've tried providing them with other hummer-friendly plants, but they always prefer Hot Lips. A small start will quickly grow into a large shrub in two seasons. I think everyone should grow this plant!
  • Posted by dnrevel (Michigan - Zone 6a) on Feb 25, 2022 1:27 PM concerning plant:
    I have become a fan of salvias due to this cultivar, 'Hot Lips' - and also its ability to woo me to propagate it from cuttings to save it from harsh winters in Michigan. Its luscious scent makes it so worth it. Catching a whiff in the frosty winter is a treat!

    I grow coral nymph salvia from seeds, but 'Hot Lips' seems to not produce seeds, so cuttings work fine.
  • Posted by bonitin (Ghent, Belgium - Zone 8a) on Jun 4, 2012 3:38 AM concerning plant:
    This is an amazing plant. When I bought it the flowers were bicolor: red and white. The same plant later on produced entirely white flowers, and now the first blooms in late May-June are entirely red. It proved to be very tough too, having gone through a very severe winter with long periods of hard frosts without damage. It is very drought resistant too.
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Oct 25, 2021 6:34 PM concerning plant:
    The species of Blackcurrant Sage is native to southeast Arizona and the mountains of Mexico, where it is an evergreen small shrub. It makes a great herbaceous annual up in the northern US or other northern climates. This 'Hot Lips' probably is the most common cultivar grown as an annual, though most garden centers in the northern USA do not carry it; only some conventional nurseries or garden centers that are large, diverse, very knowledgeable, and carrying a big supply of annuals.
  • Posted by DavidLMO (Zone 5B/6 - NW MO - Zone 5b) on Sep 20, 2015 10:23 PM concerning plant:
    I love Hot Lips. Even here in Zone 5B. It winters over indoors without missing a beat.
    The flower form is neat in that it can be all white, all pink or some combination. Some of the coloration is caused by temperature changes, so a new flush may be different. On my plants, I often have all 3 color schemes at the same time.

    Very easy to grow from cuttings. I have taken them at various times, and they always take. But I usually do it in Fall when I am cutting the plant back to bring inside.
  • Posted by LoriMT (Dawsonville, GA - Zone 8a) on Oct 2, 2022 6:00 PM concerning plant:
    This Salvia starts blooming in early May in my zone 7b North Georgia garden. The blooms during the cooler seasons of spring and fall are prolific and bi-colored red and white. During the hot summer, the flowers turn solid red and there are fewer blooms. The plant goes dormant in the winter.
  • Posted by Deebie (midstate South Carolina - Zone 8a) on Jun 3, 2016 9:21 AM concerning plant:
    I love growing this plant, as it looks different as the season goes on. I do find that it does not like as much sun as some of my other salvias. It sulks in full sun for me, so I had to move it to an area with filtered sun. It looks much better with the move.
  • Posted by Newyorkrita (North Shore, Long Island, NY ) on Sep 29, 2011 9:03 PM concerning plant:
    I had this plant last year in 2010 but it is not hardy in my zone as it died over the winter. Too bad as it is a prolific bloomer that was in bloom when I bought it early spring and it stayed covered in blooms until a hard frost.
  • Posted by TexasPlumeria87 (Plano, TX - Zone 8a) on Apr 28, 2017 6:58 PM concerning plant:
    A great plant, though I have to trim it back a few times each year, otherwise it would take over my flower bed. I've seen quite a few pollinators show interest in the blooms. It's also pretty easy to start from cuttings.
  • Posted by Marilyn (Kentucky - Zone 6a) on Apr 11, 2014 6:52 PM concerning plant:
    I love this Salvia! Great grower too. Love the red and white combo flowers! Attracts hummers, butterflies, and bees. It's great in a container. A joy to grow and is long blooming.
  • Posted by kqcrna (Valencia, Pa - Zone 6a) on Jul 28, 2014 3:48 PM concerning plant:
    I have this plant in a container near my front porch and the hummingbirds visit it often. It has produced mostly solid red blossoms with just a few bicolor ones.

    I have not found any seeds on this plant all summer, though I see that @duane456 posted a photo of seeds. Does it really set seeds? My salvia coral nymph is setting seeds fast now that the weather has cooled and days are getting so short, but I see none on Hot Lips.
Plant Events from our members
flaflwrgrl On April 15, 2015 Bloomed
flaflwrgrl On October 29, 2014 Obtained plant
From Santa Rosa Gardens in pot.
fstins1 On April 24, 2015 Obtained plant
variegatagal On May 7, 2023 Maintenance performed
x3 specimens, unknown source. Planted in place of Dessert Blaze specimens in 2022. Has been blooming since April.
variegatagal On May 19, 2018 Transplanted
variegatagal On February 22, 2017 Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
Never recovered, considered dead
variegatagal On September 5, 2016 Maintenance performed
Pruned back 2/3rds of plant.
variegatagal On March 6, 2016 Obtained plant
Covington's Nursery and Landscape
5518 President George Bush Highway
Rowlett, TX 75089
carlysuko On July 24, 2017 Maintenance performed
Rooted cutting doing very well. Especially after feeding with compost tea made with Dr. Earth's organic gold fertilizer.
carlysuko On March 27, 2017 Potted up
Potted up five rooted cuttings into individual pots. All doing very well.
MunchkinsMom On March 27, 2017 Transplanted
Planted with 'Yucca Do' and Tulips in pot at deck post nearest pond.
MunchkinsMom On March 15, 2017 Obtained plant
Dogwood eBay $4.95 2 1/2" Pot, about 6" tall
carolem On December 26, 2017 Maintenance performed
pruned back lightly; getting too leggy. The heat of summer and flowers have been sparse. Trying to induce new flowering growth.
taterpye On August 11, 2020 Obtained plant
Plant Delight (2) planted in large black pot left on deck
taterpye On August 1, 2020 Maintenance performed
Cut back from 3 ft to 1 1/2 feet
dnrevel On March 27, 2024 Potted up
Transplanted and moved to the greenhouse. Doing well, overwintered well.
dnrevel On February 14, 2024 Cuttings took
Looking good, growing well. Cuttings setting roots. Adding LED light to grow on until it is warming in the greenhouse. For now growing in the basement.
dnrevel On February 1, 2024 Cuttings stuck
Three or four new salvia cuttings stuck, snipped from the October cuttings which took. Have placed in pots to grow on.
dnrevel On October 16, 2023 Cuttings stuck
Four Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips' sage plants stuck and placed in basement in bags. A continuation from 2021.
dnrevel On June 19, 2023 Transplanted
Transplanted into pots in the backyard.
dnrevel On March 15, 2023 Potted up
dnrevel On March 1, 2023 Cuttings took
dnrevel On February 2, 2023 Cuttings stuck
Cuttings taken from cuttings grown in basement since October
dnrevel On October 12, 2022 Cuttings stuck
Made a second set of cuttings as first set stuck Oct. 1 dried out. Placed in greenhouse.
dnrevel From June 3, 2022 to June 10, 2022 Transplanted
Transplanting cuttings overwintered indoors.
dnrevel On October 31, 2020 Winterized
Took softwood cutting today and 2 weeks ago. Planted the Salvia in a sheltered spot today surrounded by feverfew. We'll see if it will survive the winter. Hopefully it will regrow from the softwood cuttings if not.
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
First year propagating by cuttings by dnrevel Feb 25, 2022 1:28 PM 0
Lovely photo! by dnrevel Jul 21, 2022 11:31 AM 0

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