Is My Hot Lips Plant Dead? How to Tell and Revive Your Beloved Plant
As a gardener, one of the most disheartening things is seeing your beloved plants start to decline Hot lips plants, also known as salvia microphylla, are popular ornamentals known for their vibrant red and white flowers. But sometimes these plants can suddenly take a turn for the worse
You may start noticing your hot lips plant looking droopy and lifeless. The normally perky leaves start wilting and the stems appear limp. It’s enough to make any plant parent wonder – is my hot lips plant dead or can it be saved?
Don’t give up yet! If you know how to save a dying hot lips plant and act quickly, you might be able to bring it back to life. Here are some of the most important signs that your hot lips plant is sick, along with some tips on how to get it better.
Signs Your Hot Lips Plant is Dying
Even though hot lips plants are pretty tough, they can still get problems like disease, pests, and too much water. Watch out for these signs your plant needs help:
- Wilting and drooping leaves
- Yellow or browning leaves
- Leaf drop
- Lack of new growth
- Dry, brittle stems
- Black or mushy stems
- Lack of flowers
If you notice any of these symptoms, don’t assume your plant is a goner just yet. The next step is to diagnose the underlying problem and take action.
Reviving a Dying Hot Lips Plant
With attentive care, you may be able to rescue your ailing hot lips plant. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
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Check the roots. Too much water can cause root rot, which will kill most hot lips plants. Check the roots and put the plant in a new pot with dry, fresh soil if they look dark brown or mushy.
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Make sure the pot has enough drainage holes and that the soil drains well. Hot lips plants hate wet feet.
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Adjust watering – Both over and underwatering can damage hot lips plants. Water only when the top inch of soil is dry.
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Treat pests – Inspect for common pests like aphids, mealybugs and spider mites and take action if found. Insecticidal soap, neem oil or horticultural oils can help.
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Sterilize tools – Disinfect shears and other tools to prevent the spread of disease.
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Apply fungicide – If fungal disease is the culprit, apply an appropriate organic fungicide. Improve air flow around the plants.
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Check light level – Hot lips thrive in full sun. If yours is getting less than 6 hours of direct sun daily, move it or supplement with grow lights.
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Fertilize – Use a balanced fertilizer to provide nutrients if your plant shows signs of deficiency like yellow leaves.
With close inspection and a little TLC, you can often nurse struggling hot lips plants back to health. Be patient, as it can take weeks or months to rebound. If despite your efforts the plant continues to deteriorate, propagation is an option. Take cuttings from healthy parts of the plant to start over.
Preventing Hot Lips Plant Decline
While bringing your hot lips plant back from the brink takes effort, prevention is easier. Here are some tips for keeping your plant thriving:
- Choose disease-resistant varieties
- Provide optimal sunlight and airflow
- Use well-draining soil and containers with drainage holes
- Water thoroughly only when the top inch of soil is dry
- Apply balanced fertilizer monthly during growing season
- Prune away dead or dying leaves/stems
- Monitor for pests like whiteflies and aphids
- Disinfect tools and remove fallen leaves/debris
- Avoid overhead watering
- Overwinter indoors in cold climates
By giving your hot lips salvia attentive care and prompt treatment for any problems, you can hopefully avoid a plant emergency. But even if your plant shows signs of decline, don’t assume it’s doomed. With persistence and TLC, you may be able to revive your beloved hot lips plant.
Short Flowering Period
You may have heard that salvias have a long blooming period over the summer.
However, if you fail to deadhead the flowers when they have faded by around mid-summer, then the plants will go to seed rather than continue to produce blooms.
Deadheading is a good idea with most salvias to prolong the flowering period for as long as possible…
Poor Flowering
Poor flowering can be caused by a number of issues, but the most common cause is that it has been placed in the wrong spot and is not getting enough sun.
Moving your salvia to a sunnier and more suitable spot should solve this issue.
“Make sure you know the growth type of your salvia and when it flowers,” says Lyndi Garnett, coordinator of the Victorian Salvia Study Group.
“Large and tall salvias flower in autumn and winter, so don’t cut down in winter.”
Why Salvia Hotlips is the perfect perennial for your garden
FAQ
How to revive a hot lips plant?
Prune ‘Hot Lips’ salvia in late winter or early spring before new growth starts to emerge. This timing allows the plant to recover and produce new growth during the growing season.
How do I know if my plant is completely dead?
The roots, too, should be pliable but firm. If the stems and roots are both soft or broken, the plant is dead and you will have to start over. Dec 9, 2022.
Will hot lips grow back?
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
Will salvias grow back?
Flowering throughout summer and into autumn, these perennials provide pops of colour in sunny borders. Long-lived border salvias come back year after year, they are easy to grow and are a favourite of bees.
Why is my Hot Lips plant dead?
Even if you water and feed your Hot Lips plant during the growing season and see no new leaves or flowers, it is dead. But this can happen if you don’t water enough, water too little, don’t get enough sunlight, get too much sunlight, have pests or diseases, or fail to take other care of the plant.
Is Hot Lips a dead plant?
Hot Lips leaves almost no clues in the outside appearance, making it difficult to confirm whether it is dead or only idle during dormancy. The big difference between the dead and dormant Hot Lips plant (Salvia) is the wood color. The dead plant has dry and brown wood under when scratching the bark.
How to revive a dying Hot Lips plant?
If you’re wondering how to revive a dying Hot Lips plant, don’t worry, there are a few things you can do to help bring it back to life. One of the most common reasons that Hot Lips plants start to die is because they’re not getting enough water or they’re getting too much. Make sure you’re watering your plant regularly, but not too much.
How do you know if a Hot Lips plant is dying?
The most common signs of a dying hot lips plant include: The most common causes of a dying hot lips plant are: Native to the dry, arid regions of Mexico, the Salvia mycrophylla is drought tolerant, and as such does not need a ton of water. In fact, one of the most common causes of death is overwatering.
How long does a HOT LIP plant live?
Hot Lips Plant (Salvia) grows as annual in zone 3-6 and as perennial in zone 7-10. When growing as perennials, Salvias can live for 4-6 years, depending on the climate, care requirement, and specific varieties. A dead Hot Lips plant appears brown or black with no life. However, these flowering plants die off shortly with the following signs.
Are HOT LIP plants Bad?
Don’t panic just yet. Hot Lips plants, also known as Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’, are popular ornamental plants that add a touch of color and fragrance to any garden or landscape. However, like any plant, they can suffer from various issues that can cause