Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun (coastal) to light shade and mulch around the base. Low water requirements. Hardy at the base only to the mid 20's° F with some foliage damage much below freezing but quite tolerant of heat and humidity. Cut back to a desired shape when danger of frost is over.

This plant inhabits a wide range from Central America north to Chiapas Mexico where it grows from 1,000 to 8,500 feet in elevation in diverse habitats. The specific epithet given to this plant in 1939 by American botanist Carl Epling (1894- 1968) comes from the Latin word meaning "caterpillar", perhaps for the shape of the flowers prior to opening. Our plants are of tall form from Betsy Clebsch, though another shorter form is also in distribution. We grew this plant from 1999 to 2014. 

The information displayed on this page about Salvia urica is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.