Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht'
Early summer is an exciting time in the garden with so many plants bursting into flower but Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ is a favourite. It produces slender heads of deep purple flowers above dark green foliage, and once it has finished flowering it can be trimmed back to allow a second flush of flowers. Find it in the Farmhouse Garden where it combines with other perennials in a striking colour combination of purple and orange and it even survives the tough conditions of the Dry Garden, where it forms a neater and more compact plant due to the harsh growing conditions and lack of water. This salvia can be used in many different situations and can be combined in many different schemes making it a very useful and adaptable plant that provides rich, early summer colour.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Wood sage 'Mainacht'
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Height & spread
- 70cm (28in) x 45cm (18in)
- Form
- Clump-forming herbaceous perennial
- Soil
- Well-drained fertile soil
- Aspect
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy in the British Isles
Salvia
This is a large genus of about 900 species of often aromatic, flowering plants containing mainly herbs and numerous sub-shrubs. They include annuals, biennials, evergreen and herbaceous perennials, and shrubs. Some are rhizomatous or tuberous.
They originate from temperate and subtropical parts of the world but not very hot and humid regions, and grow mainly in sunny places.
Annual salvias, and perennials grown as annuals, provide brilliant colour for bedding, infilling or containers. Common bedding salvias include cultivars of the scarlet sage Salvia splendens such as 'Scarlet King' which is compact, has dark green leaves and scarlet flowers. Some species like S. viridis (annual clary) are also popular if grown in light woodland or wild flower meadows, where they attract bees and other wildlife.
Several species have deliciously aromatic foliage, the most well-known being common sage, Salvia officinalis. S. sclarea (biennial clary) and S. viridis (annual clary) are also in widespread cultivation as culinary herbs and for medicinal uses.
The name salvia is derived from the Latin 'salvare', meaning to save or heal, referring to the supposed medicinal properties of certain species.
Salvia x sylvestris 'Mainacht'
This is a hybrid of Salvia nemorosa and Salvia pratensis. It is a clump-forming, compact, erect, branched perennial bearing oblong to lance-shaped, scalloped, wrinkled, softly hairy, mid-green leaves. The large flowers are indigo-blue and combine well with silver-leaved plants in a herbaceous border. It is tolerant of drought.
The name ‘Mainacht’ is German for May night.
Cultivation
- Under glass grow in well-drained, loamless or loam-based potting compost in full light. Feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly.
- Outdoors, grow in light, moderately fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade.
- Trim or lightly cut back shoots that spoil the symmetry. Dead head regularly or cut back after the first flush of flowers to encourage a further set of blooms.
- Slugs and snails will attack young growth.
Propagation
- Sow seed in containers in a cold frame in spring.
- Divide in spring.
- Take basal or softwood cuttings in spring or early summer, or semi-ripe cuttings in late summer or autumn.
AGM
The RHS Floral Committee awarded Salvia × sylvestris 'Mainacht' an Award of Garden Merit and described it as follows:
'A very erect, compact, herbaceous perennial. Leaves dark green with pale veining especially noticeable around midrib. Flowering stems light green, fairly stout and rigid. Inflorescence 18cm long, a fairly dense spike of whorled flowers. '