Salvia nemorosa ‘Mainacht’
Salvia nemorosa ‘Mainacht’ – also known as ‘May Night’ – is a classic, award-winning perennial prized for its rich violet-blue flower spikes and dependable, long-lasting performance. One of the earliest salvias to bloom, it brings a welcome burst of colour to the garden from late spring through summer. With its compact, upright habit and excellent resilience, ‘Mainacht’ is a firm favourite for sunny borders, cottage gardens, and pollinator-friendly planting schemes.
Key Features
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Botanical name: Salvia nemorosa ‘Mainacht’
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Common name: May Night sage
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Plant type: Hardy herbaceous perennial
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Height: 75cm (2.4ft)
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Spread: 45cm (1.5ft)
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Flowering time: Late spring to midsummer (June to July) with potential for repeat flowering
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Deep violet-blue flower spikes on sturdy, upright stems
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Compact, clump-forming habit ideal for front-of-border planting
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Low-maintenance: Deadhead after flowering to encourage rebloom; cut back in spring
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Hardiness: Fully hardy in the UK, tolerating temperatures down to -20°C (RHS hardiness rating H7)
Growth & Habit
‘Mainacht’ forms a neat, dense clump of grey-green foliage from which emerge upright flowering stems bearing rich violet-blue blooms. The flower spikes are densely packed and rise elegantly above the foliage, bringing colour, height, and structure to the front or middle of a border. With its compact size and tidy habit, it’s ideal for formal or informal plantings alike.
Planting Advice
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Position: Prefers full sun for best flowering and compact growth.
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Potted: Can be planted at any time of year as long as the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged.
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Soil: Grows well in light, free-draining soil. Tolerates poor or sandy soils but dislikes heavy, wet ground.
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Planting Depth: Plant with the crown at soil level. Water thoroughly after planting.
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Spacing: Space 30–45cm apart to allow for airflow and future growth.
An excellent choice for low-maintenance borders, rockeries, or gravel gardens.
Care & Maintenance
Salvia ‘Mainacht’ is easy to care for and benefits from occasional deadheading to extend the flowering period. After the first flush of blooms fades, cut back the spent stems to encourage fresh growth and possible repeat flowering later in summer. In early spring, cut back all stems to just above ground level to make way for new foliage. Once established, this variety is drought-tolerant and requires little feeding.
Uses in the Garden
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Excellent for sunny borders, rock gardens, and traditional cottage garden planting
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Pairs well with roses, geraniums, nepeta, and ornamental grasses
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Perfect for pollinator gardens and wildlife-friendly schemes
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Adds reliable vertical structure and colour to compact planting spaces
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Ideal for edging paths or planting in bold groups for impact
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Works beautifully in Mediterranean and drought-tolerant designs
Salvia ‘Mainacht’ is a dependable and richly coloured perennial that deserves a place in every sunny garden. Compact, easy-going, and generous with its blooms, it’s a brilliant choice for adding height, colour, and pollinator appeal early in the season. A tried-and-true garden favourite that performs beautifully year after year.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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In stock
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£6.99 | ||
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£9.99 |