Salvia nemerosa ‘May Night,’ and others

Salvia 'Black Knight'A reader wrote to Scott Aker of the Washington Post to ask why their ‘May Night’ ONLY blooms in May, while the ones all over town bloom all summer long. What gives?

Aker’s reply: they’ll bloom all summer long if the fading flowers are removed and if they’re watered during droughts. Full sun is also required for maximum blooming.

Another salvia Aker recommends for long blooming is Salvia microphylla, especially the cultivar named ‘San Carlos Festival’ (blooming til November!). Its blooms are pink.

And another option is to interplant ‘May Night’ with a late-bloomer like Salvia chamaedryoides. It’s only 12″ high, is very drought-tolerant, and has indigo blue blooms in September and October.

‘May Night’ Details

  • Hardy to Zones 3-9.
  • Sun or partial shade, but blooms more with full sun.
  • Grows to 2-3 feet high and wide.
  • Flowers May-June or through the summer if you remove the fading blooms. Or take the opportunity to cut it back (see “Care”).
  • Good for cut flowers.
  • Deer- and rabbit-resistant.
  • Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
  • Tolerates heat and humidity well.
  • Native to Central Europe and Asia
  • 1997 “Perennial Plant of the Year”.


‘May Night’ Care

  • After it blooms, cutting it back to 6 to 8 inches will make it bushier and prevent flopping. Shape the plant mass as you do it, making the outside and front shorter.
  • Established plants are drought-tolerant, though sources tell us that they generally prefer even moisture. (But don’t they say that about everything? Like preferring a good loamy soil, the kind few homeowners have.)
  • Divide in spring or fall (preferably in spring) though it shouldn’t need it for many years. One source warns that it doesn’t like being divided, though, so maybe there’s a good reason to wait til spring before the new growth appears, when it can best recover from the assault.
  • It overwinters better if not cut back to the ground in fall, so wait til early spring.

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