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The Salvia Lips collection is one of the most recognisable groups of salvias in UK gardens — a series of bicolour and single-colour varieties that together cover the widest range of pink, red and white combinations available in any single salvia series. The collection centres on the iconic ‘Hot Lips’, but includes Pink Lips, Amethyst Lips, Cherry Lips and others that together make up one of the most versatile and garden-worthy salvia ranges available.
All Lips collection varieties are members of the Salvia microphylla or jamensis group — compact, bushy, semi-hardy salvias with exceptional flowering seasons that run from May right through to the first frosts. They share the same growing requirements, the same hardiness rating, and the same approach to pruning and overwintering.
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ — The original and most widely grown. Red and white bicolour flowers that shift between fully red, fully white and bicolour through the season depending on temperature. The definitive UK garden salvia. Compact and bushy at 60–80cm.
Salvia ‘Pink Lips’ — The softer sister to Hot Lips — pink and white bicolour with the same dynamic colour shifts through the season. More restrained and refined, working well in cottage garden schemes and pastel planting combinations.
Salvia ‘Amethyst Lips’ — Rich purple and white bicolour — a deeper, more saturated version of the Lips formula. A natural partner for the blue nemorosa varieties in mixed planting.
Salvia ‘Cherry Lips’ — Warm cherry red without the bicolour — a clean single colour for gardeners who prefer the Lips habit without the two-tone effect. Particularly effective against silver foliage or grey stone.
Full sun and free-draining soil are essential — the standard requirements for all microphylla and jamensis salvias. Feed fortnightly with high-potash liquid fertiliser from May to September. Cut back in spring once new growth is visible at the base — never cut back in autumn. Deadhead every two to three weeks through the season for continuous flowering.
Semi-hardy (RHS H3–H4) — in sheltered southern gardens a generous October mulch gives them a good chance of overwintering. In colder gardens, take semi-ripe cuttings in August. See our cuttings guide and overwintering guide.
Browse the full Lips collection at Middleton Nurseries
The red and white bicolour pattern in Hot Lips and other Lips series varieties shifts with temperature — cooler conditions tend to produce more white, warmer conditions more red. This is a characteristic of the Salvia jamensis group and is part of what makes these varieties so visually interesting through the season.
Semi-hardy (RHS H3–H4). They will overwinter in sheltered, south-facing gardens with free-draining soil and a generous October mulch. In colder or more exposed gardens, take cuttings in August and overwinter in a frost-free space.
From May right through to the first frosts — one of the longest seasons of any garden plant. Regular deadheading every two to three weeks maintains continuous flowering and is the single most important thing you can do to extend the season.
Hot Lips produces red and white bicolour flowers; Pink Lips produces pink and white. Both show the same seasonal colour shifting behaviour — more white in cooler temperatures, more colour in heat. Pink Lips has a softer, more restrained tone that works particularly well in pastel and cottage garden planting schemes.
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