Reference specimenAccession  SKU-00524

Salvia greggii "Furman's Red"

Autumn Sage

At a glance
Type
Shrub
Hardiness
USDA Zones 7–9
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained
Mature size
Height 2–3 Feet · Spread 2–3 Feet
Growth rate
Fast
Seasonality
Semi-Evergreen
A plant Woodlanders once offered on our catalogue

This variety is no actively in production in our propagation house and may not return to our catalogue. We maintain this page purely for reference and archival purposes. If you would like to grow this plant, tell us. Your interest helps guide what we bring back.

For a larger installation or commercial project, write hello@woodlanders.net.

Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red' is a small, woody sage grown for a long, generous run of deep, true-red flowers that carry from early summer straight through fall. The tubular, two-lipped blooms glow against fine, dark green, aromatic leaves, and few small shrubs bloom so steadily for so little trouble, feeding hummingbirds and bees the whole time.

The species behind the selection, the autumn sage, is a plant of the limestone hills of west Texas and northern Mexico, and 'Furman's Red' keeps every bit of that tough, sun-loving, lime-tolerant character. A hot, dry, sharply drained site is exactly what the plant wants, and alkaline soil that defeats many shrubs suits the autumn sage perfectly, which makes the selection a mainstay of xeric and low-water gardens across the warm South and Southwest.

Aromatic when brushed and passed over by deer, 'Furman's Red' earns a place near a path or a seat where the hummingbird traffic can be watched at close range. The compact, twiggy frame stays neat with a hard cut in late winter, which clears the old wood and drives a dense spring flush.

Site the plant in full sun in lean, well-drained, even alkaline soil, in a xeric border, a rock or gravel garden, a hot bank, or a large container, and pair with agastache, other salvias, and warm-season grasses that share the taste for heat and sharp drainage. Drought tolerant once established, and one of the most dependable red-flowered small shrubs a hot garden can hold.

Design Notes

Use Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red' in a xeric border, a rock or gravel garden, a hot sunny bank, or a large container, wherever a long-blooming red and sharp drainage meet. Site the plant near a path or a seat where the hummingbird traffic can be watched, and pair with agastache, other salvias, penstemons, and warm-season grasses that share a love of heat and lean soil. The autumn sage thrives on the alkaline, limestone ground that defeats many shrubs, a real asset in the warm South and Southwest. Cut hard in late winter to keep the frame dense and floriferous.

Flower, Fruit & Foliage

Deep true-red, tubular, two-lipped flowers over fine dark foliage, from early summer through fall; a hummingbird draw.

Flower. Deep, true-red, tubular, two-lipped flowers carried in loose spikes from early summer through fall, a long and generous run that draws hummingbirds and bees.

Foliage. Small, fine, dark green leaves, aromatic when brushed, on a twiggy, woody frame. Evergreen to semi-evergreen depending on winter cold.

Habit. A compact, rounded, woody subshrub of two to three feet, kept dense by a hard late-winter cut.

Care

Light. Full sun for the heaviest, longest bloom.

Soil. Lean, sharply drained soil, including dry, rocky, and alkaline ground. Heavy wet soil, especially in winter, is the main danger.

Water. Water to establish, then drought-tolerant. An occasional soak in extended drought keeps bloom going.

Pruning. Not self-cleaning. Cut back by about half in late winter to clear old wood and drive the spring flush; a light shear after a heavy flush renews bloom.

Hardiness. USDA Zones 7 to 9. Evergreen in mild winters, semi-evergreen where cold.