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Did i prune salvia hot lips too far?

zoeystrawbridgeUVODSsdBzoeystrawbridgeUVODSsdB Posts: 2
edited February 2021 in Problem solving
Hi all,

First time poster here! Would appreciate any advice. 

I moved into my home 2 years ago and have had 2 lovely summers with a very healthy salvia hot lips plant in the bedding. 

The first year I was there (2019) it was so wide I cut I back by half to the edge of the border at the end of summer. The following year the plant grew even further with lush blooms so I assumed I had done the right thing.

In October 2020 I decided to cut it right back as it was getting rather large and taking over the decking (see 1st pic pre chop)

but fast forwards to today Feb 2021 and the poor thing has lost all of its leaves (2nd pic). I thought it was supposed to be an evergreen!



 I think the very cold snap we had finished it off. Do you think it’s got any chance of coming back to life again this year? Or do you think I should call it quits and dig it up? Absolutely loved this hot lips plant so would love to get it back to its full glory once again!

thanks in advance 🙂
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited February 2021
    Hello Zoey  :)
    The usual advice with shrubby salvias such as Hotlips is to prune them back in late Spring, the top growth protects the rest (although you can cut them back a bit in Autumn to stop them getting battered by the wind).
    It does look pretty sick but if you have a look at the base you may be able to see tiny green shoots that prove all is not lost.
    Personally l would leave it for a few more weeks and see if new growth appears. Hotlips does seem to be one of the toughest ones. Shrubby salvias always look pretty tatty at this time of year. 
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    Welcome to the forum. I don't think your Salvia 'Hot Lips' will survive. It isn't a totally hardy plant and pruning is best done as new growth starts to appear in early Spring, or after the worst of the low temperatures.  If, you are fortunate and it does recover, try taking some cuttings to grow in case you need a replacement in future. 
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • zoeystrawbridgeUVODSsdBzoeystrawbridgeUVODSsdB Posts: 2
    Thankyou both, your comments are very much appreciated. I can’t see any new growth yet but will wait a few more weeks as the weather gets better and see how it looks. Do you think it’s worth me getting rid of the very dead twiggy growth or just leave it be?

    really loved this plant and hate to think I’ve killed it off from too late a trim!

    very new to gardening so will certainly take this knowledge into future endeavours
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It might be fine. If you break of a twig near the base and see if it bends and is green or if it is brown and dead. Give it until May and see if any green shoots appear. It is best to wait until frost has past to prune. I have lost several Hot Lips to cold - they are from hot South American climes after all.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'd say if it's still alive, then you've not cut it back far enough ;)
    Devon.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Mine looks like that at the moment, but it did at this time last year as well. I will not prune until I see new shoots, then prune back hard.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I think you may yet get new growth, but it's a case of wait and see. Leave what's left of the top growth on for now.
    I don't grow Hot Lips (the Lips types are the only shrubby salvias I've seen that I really don't like, but everyone's taste is different) but I have plenty of others and on occasion I've had them come back from ground level after a hard winter. It has to be said I've also lost a couple, notably Lara and Trebah Lilac White.

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Mine was like that in Jan/Feb 2019.  I thought it was all over.  Scraped a bit of the wood away and I saw green.....so left it.....and then....

    April 19:


    Jun 19:


    August 19:


    Then we went away for a fortnight and my nephew didn't water it properly and it was definitely gone after that! :(
  • Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
    Mine pretty much look like that every year at this time. Then I cut them back to about 2/3 the size of yours and by midsummer I'm pruning the things again as they have taken over.

    Every year I think I've gone too far taking them from about 3-4ft down to 1ft  and they've always recovered so far.

    Be patient and see what happens in a month. 
  • LadyBusyBeeLadyBusyBee Posts: 15

    Afternoon everyone, 
    Here is my Salvia “Hot Lips” had this for 2 years and one of my favourites plants. I showed a friend’s mum round my garden via video call and she spotted my salvia and asked me to propagate. As I’m new to it so i done it back in Aug 2020 and hallelujah it’s growing! Mine has become quite woody, after the extreme cold week in Feb I wasn’t sure if it survived. Thankfully there’s sign of new growth.

    I think I’ve lost a few plants (Gaura- Whirling butterflies, Osteospermum x2) I just have to wait and see if there’s new growth 🤞🏼🤞🏼

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