Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 9-30-13, #192-11.
‘Furman’s Red’ Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’
SAL-vee-uh GREG-ee-eye
Salvia greggii A.Gray is the accepted scientific name for this species of Salvia. It was named and described by Asa Gray in Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1870.
Asa Gray was considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ was selected by W.A. Furman, a plantsman from Texas, in the 1980’s I believe it was introduced by Plant Select in 2005.
The genus, Salvia L., was named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.
As of 12-20-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 1,018 species in the Salvia genus. It is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae with 232 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
Salvia greggii is native to Texas and northeast Mexico.
THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 5-14-13, #148-19.
I bought this Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ from a seller on Ebay from Arkansas in 2013. The same seller I bought several plants from in 2012 when I lived at the mansion in Mississippi, so I bought from him again in 2013. I put this plant in the newly dug bed on the south side of the house.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 6-11-13, #155-26.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Lamiaceae.
Origin: The species is native to Texan and northeast Mexico.
Zones: USDA Zones 5a-10b.
Size: 24-26” tall.
Light: Sun to part shade.
Soil: Average, well-drained soil.
Water: Prefers regular watering but is somewhat drought tolerant.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ at 18″ tall x 17″ wide on 6-29-13, #159-12.
The south side of my parent’s home consisted of two Crape Myrtle bushes and a group of Cannas. I wrote a long paragraph but deleted it and started over… Where was I? Oh, yeah, the bed on the south side of the house. Dad told me I could do what I wanted here, so the south side of the house was my first venture. I dug the bed from the wall out to the end of the downspout on both corners of the house, maybe 5 feet or so. I amended the soil with well-decomposed cow manure and hay from where the cows had been fed over previous winters. Then I planted the bed… I had brought several perennials from Mississippi and most of them went in this bed.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ flowers on 6-29-13, #159-13.
The flowers are such a bright red it was hard to get good photos. By experience, I now know it is best to take photos in the late afternoon after the sun goes behind the trees in the front yard.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 7-3-13, #160-27.
The biggest problem on the south side was those two d—n Crape Myrtle bushes. In Mississippi, they grew as trees but here, they die back and resprout every spring. I have a history with the “ancestors” of these two bushes from the early 1980’s but that would make this page much longer. As the days went by, the Crap Myrtle (I mean Crape Myrtle) grew larger shading nearby plants. I had not been here for many years, so I had forgotten how big Crape Myrtle, as shrubs, can grow.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 7-14-13, #162-50.
I wanted to get the tractor and yank the Crape Myrtle out, but I had to realize this wasn’t a decision I could make. Even though the farm was my home now, it is “legally” my parent’s property and I didn’t plant them here. I succeeded in getting rid of the Crape Myrtle next to my grandparent’s old home in the early 1980’s only to find their descendants here to haunt me once again…
It is a good idea to remove the stems of spent flowers to keep the plant looking tidy and possibly encourage more bloom.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 8-3-13, #169-25.
As you can see, the Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red did very well despite it trying to grow away from the Crape Myrtle.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 8-23-13, #178-77.
Salvia greggii is considered a tender perennial in USDA zones 7b-10. However, there is information online that says they are hardy as far north as zone 5. The farm is in zone 6a…
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 8-30-13, #181-48.
They do very well in full sun but do equally as well in light to even part shade. That is if taller neighbors give it a break. The bigger the Crap Myrtle grew, the more crooked the Salvia ‘Furman’s Red’ became.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 9-17-13, #188-55.
The bright red flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. All Salvia species are hummingbird and butterfly plants.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 9-30-13, #192-11.
Salvia greggii is a drought-tolerant species but they do appreciate regular watering when it gets dry, especially when they are flowering.
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 10-25-13, #198-27.
The Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ continued flowering right up until a few good zaps. In areas where this perennial is evergreen, cool weather and decreasing day length stop its flowering. In areas where it is perennial, it will die back to the ground and return in the spring.
DO NOT REMOVE the dead stems until new growth emerges in the spring…
Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ on 6-1-14, #228-68.
Since the Crape Myrtle was a problem for this plant in 2013, I moved it to the bed on the north side of the house in the spring of 2014. It did very well there but did not return in the spring of 2015. Possibly because the soil stays too damp in this area over the winter.
Someday I will no doubt find other Salvia greggii cultivars to bring home or I may purchase more online…
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. I would like to hear from you if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.
The Belmont Rooster 