HotLips should have sprouted and leafed out by now

17 years ago

Shouldn't it? Both HotLips and the pineapple sage/salvia both were clipped down to about 12-16" after frost late last fall. I covered each with a big plant pot suspended above to keep the rain off the stalks/freezing damage.

Should have left them alone.

If they were going to come back, I guess they would have by now given Miss Huff lantana is awake and growing.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

tamelask
17 years ago
Mine are all back now, and have been about a month. In fact, the one i gave a pretty severe haircut early this spring, knowing it might kill it. Where i put it, it's overshadowing a peony i want to get bigger, so if had died i wouldn't have been too upset. It didn't though. I need to take some cuttings and deliberately kill it but i have a hard time doing that. It's not in a place where i can easily dig it out to move it.
dottie_in_charlotte
Original Author
17 years ago
Well, that's confirming what I thought. Thanks Tam. Guess that will give me about three more square feet of planting area and about 12 sq feet of air space above the garden. Those two plants got huge and shaded more area than I would have preferred.
Related Professionals
Hilton Head Island Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Brainerd Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Leamington Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Mobile Landscape Contractors · Daytona Beach Landscape Contractors · Bainbridge Landscape Contractors · Spring Landscape Contractors · Fort Dodge Landscape Contractors · Yuma Landscape Contractors · Cambridge Flooring Contractors · West Plains Flooring Contractors · Chattanooga Flooring Contractors · Duluth Flooring Contractors · Kearney Flooring Contractors · Erie Flooring Contractors
mle17
17 years ago
Mine all just came back within the last week. Some have just started showing up in the last couple days. I was getting worried as well - First though all were lost, then was convinced half had died, but they are all up. Don't give up hope!
tamelask
17 years ago
yeah, that's my problem too dottie- they get too big! But they're so pretty i hate to cut them back.... and i really hate to outright kill it. But i don't want to move the peony either, since they resent that big time. It's scarlet o'hara and i paid a pretty penny for her, so i guess i'll have to buck up and either trim the heck out of hot lips and/or relocate some cuttings. Here's hoping yours show up in the next week r 2. You are just a bit cooler than me so i'll cross my fingers for you!
dottie_in_charlotte
Original Author
17 years ago
Too late..the deed is done and now I have lots more space for my beloved coleus.
OK..pulled 2 perennials/bought (don't ask how many) more annuals and perennials. One of those days and for these I haven't the holes already dug.
Good thing tomorrow is supposed to start off cool again.
karen__w z7 NC
17 years ago
My Hot Lips also got too big last year, but I whacked it way back a couple of weeks ago after it started to leaf out and it's already filled out and blooming. Sometimes it pays off to be hard-hearted in the garden.
Phylla
17 years ago
Dottie,
This winter with large temperature drops, especially that last one, took out a lot of marginally hardy plants. Your two salvias were among the most often cited I've heard, especially if they were under three years old established. Older specimens died back more than usual, but came back with new growth. Agastache rupestris was also hit hard; couldn't take that last big drop in temperature.