Name: Scarlet sage, salvia, tropical sage

Botanical name: Salvia coccinea

Description: This bright-flowered perennial is found all over Florida, the Carolinas, Texas, the West Indies and South America. Its very ubiquitousness tells you it isn't picky about soils. Scarlet sage likes it hot, takes it dry and makes hummingbird and butterfly gardens tick. The flowers are in whorls around the upright stalk; stems are square, which tells you ''mint family.'' Grown readily from seed, salvia blooms all summer long. Many commercial growers offer named cultivars in various colors of white, salmon, peach and more. But as a border plant (it grows upright and narrow), the bold red is a favorite.

Height: 2 to 3 feet

Light: Full sun

Culture: Like other wildflowers, scarlet sage is easy to grow with modest water and nutrient requirements. It will grow well if moist, but is quite drought tolerant. The University of Florida recommends this: ''To maintain a neat-looking landscape, cut it back at the end of the year after it finishes flowering and foliage begins to die.'' Even butterfly gardens have to be groomed from time to time.

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