Heatwave™ Blast sage was bred in Australia to perform in hot dry climates. It maintains its tight, upright growth habit and has dark red flowers that bloom from spring through fall. It grows to about 2-3' tall and 3' wide.
In the wild, autumn sage has a long, narrow range from southwest Texas throughout the Chihuahuan deserts into the province of San Luis Potosí in Mexico. It's found in rocky soils in sunny, dry locations at elevations of 5,000-9,000 feet (1,500-2,800m). It was first described by Asa Gray in 1870 who named it to honor J. Gregg, a Mexican trader who found and collected the salvia in Texas. Salvia greggii was introduced to cultivation in 1885 and became popular on the US West Coast in the 1980s.
Heatwave™ Blaze is notable for maintaining a dense, compact shape unlike some other autumn sages which tend to spread out with age. It grows to about 2½-3' tall and 3' wide.
Plant Blaze sage in a sunny location in soil that drains well. It's tolerant of clay soils, but just doesn't want to be in a soil that's constantly waterlogged.
Water plants often enough in the first year to keep the soil moist.
Blaze is one of a series of five different colored autumn sages that were developed in Australia and marketed under the trademarked name, Heatwave. The five Heatwave™ salvias - Sparkle, Blaze, Blast, Glimmer and Glitter - were developed to perform in hot dry climates. They're also notable for their tight, upright habit that doesn't spread out with age, which is what happens with many other autumn sages.
Once a year in late winter (around February), shear plants back by about half their height in order to promote a dense shape and more flowers.
Blaze doesn't need fertilizer during the growing season if it's planted in the ground. Working a slow-release, organic granular fertilizer such as Sustane into the soil once a year in spring will help maintain nutrient levels in your soil. If you've planted Blaze in a container, a liquid feed with a mild organic fertilizer once every two or three months may be beneficial.
Deadheading (cutting off spent flowers) during the growing season will encourage new flowers.