Salvia greggii Pink
Salvia greggii Pink
🌱 Planting Installation
Pink Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Pink') is a cheerful, semi-evergreen subshrub native to Texas and northern Mexico, celebrated for its bright rose-pink to soft-pink blossoms and continuous flowering habit. Forming a neat, mounding bush two to three feet tall and wide, it features small, oblong, aromatic medium-green leaves that release a pleasant minty-herbal fragrance when brushed or crushed. From early spring through autumn, with peak flushes in spring and fall, slender stems hold racemes of two-lipped tubular flowers that soften dry landscape palettes while offering vibrant color.
A workhorse in Southwestern xeriscapes, cottage borders, and pollinator gardens, Pink Autumn Sage is a constant magnet for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Once established, it demonstrates exceptional heat and drought tolerance, thriving through hot summer spells. Its aromatic, resinous foliage provides natural immunity against deer and rabbits, making it an easy-care, reliable perennial for warm-climate landscapes.
| Scientific Name | Salvia greggii 'Pink' (Pink Autumn Sage / Texas Sage) |
| Foliage: Semi-evergreen |
Compact, bushy, semi-evergreen subshrub with a mounding, branching habit. Leaves: Small, opposite, oval to oblong, aromatic medium-green leaves (1/2–1 in long); emits a pleasant minty-herbal fragrance when brushed or crushed. Flowers: Bright soft-pink to vivid rose-pink, two-lipped tubular flowers borne in loose terminal racemes; blooms prolifically from spring through autumn, peaking in spring and fall. Fruit: Inconspicuous, small, dry nutlets enclosed within the persistent protective calyx. Seeds: Four tiny, dark brown to black nutlets per flower. Bark: Soft, green, square young stems that mature into slender, brittle, fibrous grayish-brown woody stems at the base. |
| Life Span: Perennial | 10–20+ years |
| Mature Height | 2–3 ft |
| Mature Width (Spread) | 2–3 ft |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| USDA Zone / Chill Hours | Zones 7a–10b (Root-hardy down to 0°F to 5°F); No chill hours required |
PLANT CARE & CHARACTERISTICS
Light Requirements: Full Sun (Requires 6+ hours of direct sunlight daily for maximum flower production and compact growth; tolerates light afternoon shade in intense heat).
Water Requirements: Low; requires minimal supplemental watering once established.
Drought Resistance: Exceptional (Thrives in hot, dry Southwestern climates and xeriscapes).
Soil Type: Highly adaptable; prefers dry to medium, sandy, gravelly, or limestone-rich soils; pH 6.0–8.0; strictly requires sharp, rapid drainage to prevent root rot.
Deer Resistance: Very High (Aromatic, resinous foliage naturally deters deer and rabbits).
Pest / Disease Resistance: High resistance to pests and diseases; main threat is root or crown rot in soggy, poorly drained soils or overwatered conditions.
Pollination: Bird and Insect-pollinated; flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds, honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Pruning: Prune back by one-third in late winter or early spring to shape the plant, remove woody dieback, and promote fresh growth. Shear lightly in mid-summer to encourage a heavy autumn bloom flush.
