Scarlet sage
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iScarlet Sage | ||||||||||||||
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Salvia splendens Sellow ex Roemer & J.A. Schultes |
Salvia splendens, Scarlet Sage or Tropical Sage, was originally a bright red sage plant native to Brazil. But modern cultivation has created a wide variety of colors and sizes from 8 inches (20 cm) to 3 feet (.9 m), and spread the plant to gardens all over the world.
The plant’s elliptical, toothed leaves can found in varying shades of green. The two-petaled flowers grow on spikes shooting up from the center of the plant.
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[edit] Cultivation
S. splendens is a perennial in its native habitat, but can be grown in colder climates as an annual, reseeding itself very easily and requiring very little care.
Seeds can be planted directly in well-drained soil, after the danger of frost, or started in containers. The plants like full sun in cooler climates but may need partial shade during particularly hot summers.
The main pests to S. splendens are slugs, which can be a problem in moist environments.
[edit] Psychoactive?
In recent years, there have been reports of psychoactive properties found in S. splendens leaves. The related S. divinorum has long been used for its psychoactive properties by Mazatec Indians in Mexico, and has been gaining popularity in the rest of the world.