Salvia "Hot Lips"

Sometimes it has all white or all red instead of the mixture that gave it it's name. Sorry

Hi MWS - I haven't said 'Welcome to GOY' yet - so Hallo and I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for both your responses - and Spritz, your garden is stunning! hope to get that sort of effect in mine one day...! M

This has happened to my 'Hot Lips' too ... the first flowers were actually lips ie red and white, but the flowers now seem to be just white. I wonder whether it's a seasonal thing, ie first you get the lips and then later just the white flowers?

I think you're right, as this might have happened towards the end of last year's growing season, but I can't remember or find any pictures from that time. I think its more obvious to me this year, as I have re-potted and there are lots of flowers. I hope it goes back to how it was, as it is one of my favourites. Let me know what happens with yours too

Thanks, MWS - that's a nice thing to say! :-))

Hello, I am new too, so hello everybody, and was looking for further info on Salvia Microphylla Hot Lips as I have just bought one cos the flowers intrigued me.

On my plant label it says

Pea like flowers open as scarlet red in mid summer. As summer progresses they turn to scarlet and white then to bi-colour/white in the autumn.If summer night temperatures are too hot, the flowers revert to all white or scarlet but as night temperatures drop, the bi-colour flowers return.

Hope that helps
JollyWeeder

Ooh how interesting! Thanks for that Jollyweeder - your plant must have been purchased somewhere superior to mine, as I certainly didn't get any of that info. The flowers on mine have been consistently white with bright pink tips for the last 2 years, and has only gone full white now. I will just have to wait and see how it turns out.

Have grown hot lips for two years - quite variable flower colours - this year mine started off all red ....then after a few weeks the hot lips emerged! - also a good proportion of all white flowers - one of my favourite plants.

Hi Lazlo - that's really interesting. I was convinced that they were suffering some sort of nutrient deficiency, but everyone on here has confirmed that the same is happening to their plants - so that's reassuring! One of my favourites too. There is one with purple lips called Icing Sugar I think - that's next on the wish list!

I have the same plant.
First 2 years I had flowers of red with white. This year the flowers are all red on all 3 plants. Maybe Mulder & Scully can explain this strange behaviour. The truth is out there🤣