Discover how to grow Salvia ‘Hot Lips’, a long-flowering favourite with beautiful blooms, pollinator appeal and leaves that smell surprisingly like raspberries.
Some plants earn a place in the garden because they look beautiful. Others win us over because they’re easy to grow. Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ manages both!
From late spring right through to autumn, it produces masses of cheerful flowers that seem to glow amongst other garden plants. It’s a magnet for bees, butterflies and other pollinators, copes well with dry spells once established and asks for very little in return.
But there’s another reason gardeners often fall for it.
Brush your hand against the leaves and you’ll discover a wonderfully fruity scent that many people describe as smelling remarkably like raspberries. It’s an unexpected little surprise that makes this salvia even more special.
What kind of plant is salvia ‘Hot Lips’?
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ is a shrubby perennial salvia prized for its long flowering season and aromatic foliage.
Growing to around 80cm to 1m in height and spread, it forms a bushy mound covered in flowers for months on end. It works beautifully in cottage gardens, contemporary planting schemes, wildlife gardens and even large containers.
Like many salvias, it originates from warmer climates, which explains its love of sunshine and well-drained soil.
The raspberry-scented secret!
Many gardeners first notice Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ because of its flowers, but its foliage often steals the show.
The leaves release a sweet, fruity fragrance when touched, crushed or brushed against. While scent is always a little subjective, one comparison comes up time and time again: fresh raspberries.
It’s not an overpowering fragrance, but it’s distinctive enough to surprise visitors and add another layer of enjoyment to the garden. Position it beside a path, near a seating area or somewhere you’re likely to brush past it and you’ll appreciate its scent throughout the summer.
How to grow salvia ‘Hot Lips’
One of the best things about this salvia is how straightforward it is to grow. Salvias perform best in full sun, where they’ll produce the greatest number of flowers and develop strong, healthy growth.
A sheltered location is ideal, particularly in colder parts of the UK.
Good drainage is essential. Salvia ‘Sweet Lips’ dislikes sitting in wet soil during winter, which can lead to root problems. If your garden has heavy clay soil, consider improving drainage with horticultural grit or planting in a raised bed.
Water while establishing
Water regularly during the first growing season to help roots establish. Once mature, the plant becomes relatively drought tolerant and will often thrive with surprisingly little attention.
Feed lightly
A general-purpose fertiliser in spring is usually enough to support healthy growth and flowering throughout the season. Avoid overfeeding though, as this can encourage leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
Keeping the flowers coming!
One reason gardeners love salvias is their incredible flowering period. Regularly removing spent blooms helps encourage fresh flowers and keeps plants looking tidy. Throughout summer, Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ can remain covered in colour for months.
By late autumn, many plants are still flowering long after other perennials have finished for the year.
Winter care
In milder parts of the UK, Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ often comes through winter without difficulty.
Avoid cutting plants back hard in autumn. Instead, leave the top growth in place to help protect the crown from frost. Wait until spring before trimming away old stems and shaping the plant for the new growing season.
If you’re growing it in a container, moving it to a sheltered spot during prolonged cold weather can help improve its chances of overwintering successfully.
A favourite for Pollinators
The flowers are not only attractive to gardeners! Bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects are frequent visitors, making Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ a valuable addition to wildlife-friendly planting schemes.
Combined with its long flowering season and fragrant foliage, it’s easy to see why this variety has become such a popular choice.
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