perennial
Tropical sage
Salvia coccinea
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Tropical sage is a fast-growing perennial hardy in zones 8–11. Expect 1.5–3 ft of height and 1–2 ft of spread; our lists space it 1.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect red flowers in April to November. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. It is native to Florida and the Gulf, the Southeast and Texas and the South-Central states. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Salvia coccinea
- Plant type
- Perennial, herbaceous
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Adapts to sandy soils.
- Mature size
- 1.5–3 ft tall × 1–2 ft wide
- Spacing
- 1.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Apr–Nov · red
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- natural, cottage
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Salvias are not on the ASPCA toxic list.
- Native to
- Florida/Gulf, Southeast and South-Central
- Pot size and price
- quart pot, typically $6–$12 (sometimes stocked)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season; keep soil evenly moist, not soggy.
- Pruning
- Cut back by half in midsummer if leggy.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Deer-resistant plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Tropical sage, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Turk's capMalvaviscus arboreus var. drummondiiperennial · zones 8–10
- Texas sedgeCarex texensisornamental grass · zones 7–9
- Northern sea oatsChasmanthium latifoliumornamental grass · zones 5–9
- Southern wax myrtleMorella ceriferashrub · zones 8–10
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Virginia sweetspire 'Little Henry'Itea virginica 'Sprich'shrub · zones 5–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Tropical sage: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants