Coral Nymph Salvia
In the Northeast Florida Landscape
( Salvia Coccinea ‘ Coral Nymph ‘ )
Coral Nymph Salvia Origins:
– Salvia Coccinea is native to Mexico.
– Most often planted as an annual in cooler regions of the USA, here in North Florida / Jacksonville / St.Augustine area it will overwinter and regrow the next season if left in the ground and is usually touted as a half hardy perennial.
– Salvia Coccinea Coral Nymph is a selection of Salvia Coccinea grown for its brightly colored flower display.
– This compact low maintenance plant is perfect for Florida’s hot summers and keeps on blooming when other flowering plants have begun to decline. Simply snap back spent flowers and foliage during the heat of the summer
and watch it regrow and reblooming all over again in a matter of weeks!
– Short lived perennial plant best if discarded after a few seasons and allowed to return from seeds formed by flowers that are left on the plant to dry in the late summer.
Salvia Coccinea Coral Nymph Preferred Exposure:
– Coral Nymph Salvia will need a full sun or partial sun exposures in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area gardens landscape.
– To bloom its best afternoon sun is preferable to morning sun when planting in a partial sun partial shade site.
Coral Nymph Salvia Foliage:
– Medium green foliage is heart shaped and hairy
– Don’t toss the roots to these plants as they are likely to regrow quickly in the following spring season. I like to over plant mine with a cool season annual like pansy’s or snapdragons that will bloom all winter and be done by the time the foliage re-emerges late the following spring.
Coral Nymph Salvia Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:
-Salvia Coccinea Coral Nymph is not particular about the components of the soil it is planted in providing they are planted in a well draining location.
– Unknown Salt tolerance. Have it at the beach? Let us know how it did!
Coral Nymph Salvia Size Variance:
– Coral Nymph Salvia grows to just 16-24 inches high and 12-18 inches wide.
– Ideal for lower growing and front of the border plantings or even mixed
flowering containers.
Coral Nymph Salvia Growth Habit:
– Semi evergreen to herbaceous perennial plant forms an attractive mound of foliage, slightly taller than it is wide, particularly attractive when planted in masses or combined with other flowering perennials.
– Plant will tend to reseed itself into the garden!
Coral Nymph Salvia Growth Rate:
– Fast growing Coral Nymph Salvia Coccinea can be expected to reach its full height within a month of being planted in the Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape.
Coral Nymph Salvia Bloom:
– Soft Coral and white flowers in slightly arching stalks held just above the
foliage level
– Coral Nymph Salvia blossoms make excellent cut flowers, and removing spent blossoms promotes more blossoms so cut to your hearts content!
– Remove spent blooms and cut foliage back after flowering begins to decline and the plant will regrow and rebloom within weeks!
Coral Nymph Salvia Water Requirements:
– Although moderately drought tolerant. plants perform best when supplemental irrigation is supplied.
– Regular water is necessary to get the plant rooted and growing on its own after being planted in the ground from a nursery container.
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– S & J Nursery’s Coral Nymph Salvia will attract butterflies, bees and
hummingbirds to your North Florida gardens landscape.
Best Uses For Coral Nymph Salvia in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St.
Augustine area garden:
– Easy maintenance blooming plant for perennial beds and flower borders.
– Great selection for a mixed container planting.
– Plant in masses for a blooms display that cant be missed!
– Salvia Strata makes a great companion plant for other perennials in the garden and adds a strong vertical element when in bloom.
– Deer resistant flowering selection!
Care of Coral Nymph Salvia in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area
landscape:
– Water every day during the establishment period after planting in the garden from a nursery container, once plants have established themselves into the landscape, you can begin to taper watering back to just a semi weekly application if local rainfall levels are low.
– Leave foliage and roots in place for next years growth.
– Trim back both foliage and blooms when flowering begins to decline in late summer for faster fall blooms. Fertilize when trimming and the plant will be back again and blooming even if pruned off at ground level within weeks!!! ( I snap my stems down to ground level and just let the whole thing regrow to keep them nice and tidy, but you could if you weren’t quite as lazy as I am trim back just a few inches and fertilize)
– Make sure that if foliage over winters you trim back to 4-6 inches in the
spring for best results.
– Short lived perennial selection is best if discarded after a few seasons,
and having been allowed to regrow from seeds formed on flowers left on the plant at the end of summer.
– Fertilize each spring, and again when trimming in late summer with a handful of garden compost or a mixture of Milorganite and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote or Stay Green general purpose plant food or 10-10-10.