Perennial · North Texas care guide
Salvia greggii
Nursery Pro tip: Hummingbird magnet that blooms nine months a year on nothing. Shear in August for fall.
Salvia greggii — the little woody native salvia that blooms from March to frost in red, coral, pink, white or purple, with hummingbirds on it all season. 2–3 ft, evergreen-ish in a mild winter, and genuinely drought-proof. If you plant one perennial in Rockwall, this is a strong candidate.
Full sun and drainage. Poor, rocky, unamended soil suits it; rich wet beds do not. Space 2–3 ft apart.
Spring or fall. Plant high in clay — ball an inch above grade with expanded shale in the backfill — Root Stimulator, thin mulch kept off the crown.
Weekly to establish, then every week or two in summer. It would rather be dry than wet.
Very little. A light spring feeding at most.
Shear by a third after each big bloom flush to keep it tidy and flowering, and cut it back hard — to 6–8 in — in late February. Old plants get woody and bare in the middle; cut back hard or replace every four or five years.
Root rot from overwatering or a sprinkler head aimed at it. Very few insects. Deer usually leave it alone.
Sunny beds with lantana, blackfoot daisy, Gulf muhly, Texas sage and yucca. Wonderful along a walk where hummingbirds pass close.
Written for Rockwall's black clay, heat and winters by the Landscape Source team. Every yard is different — bring a photo by, or ask LS-Ai, and we'll tailor it to your spot.