The showy flowers are bright red, about an inch long, and arranged in loose whorls along the upright stem.
Blooms appear continuously from early summer to first frost.
Location Scarlet sage occurs naturally in dry soils and waste places from South Carolina to Florida, and west to Texas and Central America, as well as in the West Indies. Tolerates drought, but flowering suffers without supplemental watering during dry spells. Will survive the winters in Zones 9 and 10 and sometimes in Zone 8. Will reseed itself annually in Zones 6-8. Established plantings will persist by reseeding.