Hot Lips Salvia

Hot Lips Salvia is the plant equivalent of someone who can't decide between red lipstick and white lipstick, so they just wear both at the same time. This compact salvia produces flowers that are part red, part white, creating a two-toned effect that looks like nature's own candy cane factory gone wonderfully wild. It's got that perfect Instagram aesthetic – always changing, always photogenic, and somehow making indecision look like a deliberate style choice.

The flowers are the main event here – each bloom emerges as a perfect bicolor combination with the "lips" portion typically bright red while the lower part stays clean white. But here's where it gets interesting: the exact color ratio changes with temperature and season, so your plant is constantly changing its look throughout the growing season. Cool weather tends to produce more white, while heat brings out more red.

What makes Hot Lips Salvia absolutely irresistible to both gardeners and hummingbirds is its non-stop blooming habit. From spring through fall, this little powerhouse just keeps producing those quirky two-toned flowers, creating a display that's both consistent and constantly changing. Hummingbirds go absolutely crazy for the tubular flowers, making it like having a hummingbird magnet in your garden.

The compact, rounded form makes it perfect for containers, borders, or anywhere you want reliable color with a sense of humor. It's also incredibly heat and drought tolerant once established, making it perfect for tough spots where other flowering plants might struggle. You'll find this two-toned tease adding whimsical color and hummingbird appeal to our median plantings, proving that plants with personality are always the most memorable.