There are some varieties that are Pink Lips. My daughter has one.

But why label it as red flowers when the color is hot pink instead?

I'm not sure, but then pink may be a natural varient. Perhaps they think pink lips are Hot too. ;^)

True Salvia microphylla `Hot Lips' has pure red flowers with a white zone that widens out from the middle to the outer edges along the axis of the flower. Red is the dominant color during the cooler part of the season and when fertilizer is applied. The hotter, drier, and leaner the environment, the wider the central white zone becomes. You can reverse the trend to white by repotting the plant in soil with slow release fertilizer. There can be variations on color even on one spike.

If there is a pink variant, there still should be clear zones of white and pink. Any pink form with flowers that remain pink under any conditions is definitely not Hot Lips.

I've never seen the white color at all last summer. The label didn't say anything about it either so who knows? I guess it's another variety with same name??? That shows you why we shouldn't shop at Lowe's or HD for plants!

Rich, I've seen a form locally that looks like Hot Lips but is sold under the name 'Wolfpack Red and White'. Have you seen it, and do you know if that's a different plant or just a new label somebody put on Hot Lips for NC State fans? Karen

I have 'Hot Lips' in the UK. When it starts to flower in spring, the gorgeous flowers are bi-coloured, red and white. During the warmer months they revert to plain red or white....but when it is all white, it is so much better than S. greggii 'Alba'. Then, in Autumn (fall in the USA?) the bi-coloured flowers appear again.

This is a gem of a Salvia. Has proved to be hardy here for the last 2 winters, but this year's regular -10 frosts seem to have killed it! Luckily I over-wintered cuttings as a precaution, and will have large plants to place outside in mid-May, when frost should no longer occur.

Best regards Robin, from a really freezing UK!!!.

Hot Lips is definitely Red and White. And they tend to revert to red, or white, and depending on weather, they go back to both. Never seen a pink one... Must be mislabeled, but im sure its a close relative.

The pInk Hot Lips my daughter has is white with bright baby pink lips. The Hot Lips I bought at the same time at the same nursery are white with red lips.