skip to main content

Comparing Salvias Marcus, Caradonna and May Night

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)

15 years ago

I just scored 3 different salvias on the sale table. Salva Marcus, S. Caradonna, and a May Night. (I already have several May Night but you canÂt have too much of a good thing.) Apparently Marcus is short (which I could really use) and Caradonna is tall.

Can anyone who grows either of these comment on their color or floriferousness compared to May Night? I already have an established S. East Friesland and a S. Snow Hill, and neither of them blooms nearly as much as May Night. If either Marcus or Caradonna are especially good I may go back for more.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

ego45
15 years ago
Marcus is short and not especialy floriferous. Front of the border or rock garden plant. Except heigh is nothing special, IMO.
Caradonna is upright and tall, very dark stems and deep purple flowers. Look absolutely stunning if grown next to anything yellow (in my case Rheingold arborvitae in one location and among Magic Carpet spireas in another). Second bloom(after deadheading) is not that striking, but still OK.
May Night? You already know all about it :-))
greenguy1
15 years ago
I have 'Caradonna' growing where it contrasts with some some pale apricot colored tall bearded iris early on and later with some bright orange-red Geum, both great color combinations with the deep violet-blue of the the salvia. First bloom the last three years has been outstanding, but for me second-bloom is pretty non-existent. Once it starts to get hot, it pretty much dies back for me and all I have for most of the summer is a tuft of basal rosettes. Roars back in the spring, though. Even as a one-shot deal each year, still worth it to me for what it does while it's there. And, the dark stems as mentioned by Ego54 really add a lot.

No experience with 'Marcus.'

- Steve
Related Discussions
Salvia Caradonna compared to East Friesland
Q
Comments (1)
I don't have East Friesland, but I have Caradonna and Marcus planted in the same garden (butterfly garden). The Marcus is half as tall and doesn't have black stems, but the flower color is similar. They both look good close together and especially mixed with verbena 'Homestead Purple', stick verbena, nepeta, gaillardia (burgundy/gold), and achillea 'Coronation Gold'. I also have bronze fennel and red salvia greggii near the nemorosa salvias (when you view the garden overall and not just the nearest companions). My Marcus has seeded out in several places -- wonderful the way nature handled the placement -- it takes an entire year for the seedling to bloom. Cameron
...See More
Does your Salvia Marcus bloom as long as May Night?
Q
Comments (4)
I did get some pretty nice rebloom on my Salvia Marcus plants for two seasons. Unfortunately, they did not return the third season. They were planted in my raised "gravel" bed, so drainage should not have been an issue. Maybe they bloomed themselves to death, which can happen to my plants if cold weather comes too early for them to store some energy for the next year.
...See More
We like May Night salvia, don't we?
Q
Comments (17)
I snip off all the spent spikes in the beginning of the season, but it gets tedious. Maybe I should just cut "way" back next season. It doesn't bloom much after the snipping...just a few flowers here and there. I've heard it blooms til frost, but it just mildews for me. It's living in a good half day sun (morning and then some afternoon). What am I doing wrong? Mindy - I've not had slugs that I can see on mine. What other plants do you have surrounding the May Nights?
...See More
Who eats May Night Salvia?
Q
Comments (6)
I think it is very probable that the rabbits are eating the buds on your Caradonna. The HG photo looks a lot like my newest salvia, which was labelled meadow sage. (Might not have been properly labelled.) The rabbits ate that one down to the ground! I saw the plant was trying to make a comeback, so I put a chicken wire cage around it and am hoping it can resurrect itself. Lorna
...See More
DYH
15 years ago
I have Marcus and Caradonna. Two years in the garden for Marcus. I almost need a magnifying glass to find it, so it needs to be moved. First bloom is fine, not much of a 2nd bloom. I just planted Caradonna this spring and didn't get much bloom this first year, but I have high hopes. Heights reported in catalogs vary a lot on Caradonna.

I'm totally thrilled with salvia greggii, salvia guarantica 'black & blue' and salvia ulignosa. Those bloom from spring through fall for me, non-stop. The hummingbirds are very happy with these, too.

I don't have photos of my Marcus or Caradonna, but I have other salvia photos in a lot of my blog posts. Popular plant with me! Deer resistant, rabbit resistant.

Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: my gardening blog
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
15 years ago
I had a feeling that nothing would out-bloom May Night! I bought 2 or 3 Marcus: I need an edger for a dry area (a place where the hose doesnÂt reach, and IÂve been stumped at what to put there). But IÂm glad they didnÂt cost a lot since it looks like they may not do much. I may go back for more Caradonna now that I know they get tall: IÂm thinking of putting them behind a row of orange wild daylilies that run along the side of my house. ThatÂs in addition to the place I actually picked it out for. Sounds like Caradonna will go well with the orange. The daylilies have been there for years, IÂd like to spark it up a bit. Being more stoloniferous I know they will probably grow in after a while but IÂm not going to be too fussy about that.

I looked up some of those other salvias, salvia greggii, salvia guarantica 'black & blue' and salvia ulignosa: they are not hardy in my zone, which explains why I had not heard of them before now. Darn!

Related Stories

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Gardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 4 Gorgeous Garden Looks for a Narrow Planting Strip

Make a strong design statement in an unexpected place with these ideas for perimeter plantings, pocket gardens and more

SMALL HOMES Houzz Tour: A Family of 4 Unwinds in 540 Square Feet

An extraordinarily scaled-down home and garden for a couple and their 2 kids fosters sustainability and togetherness

GARDENING GUIDES Great Garden Ideas From the 2015 Chelsea Flower Show

By Debra Prinzing

Peruse inspiring plants, plant combinations and design ideas from London’s famed garden exhibition

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

LANDSCAPE DESIGN What Kind of Gardener Are You? Find Your Archetype

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Pick from our descriptions to create a garden that matches your personality and tells your story

FRONT YARD IDEAS Before and After: Front Lawn to Prairie Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

How they did it: Homeowners create a plan, stick to it and keep the neighbors (and wildlife) in mind

ARCHITECTURE Tell a Story With Design for a More Meaningful Home

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Go beyond a home's bones to find the narrative at its heart, for a more rewarding experience

FURNITURE How to Buy a Quality Sofa That Will Last

Learn about foam versus feathers, seat depth, springs, fabric and more for a couch that will work for years to come

Sponsored

More Discussions

Action packed or leave room?

19

Hellebore question and opinions

12

Happy with plants from Garden Crossings

6

This may seem like a stupid question.

3

Gardenfit TV show on PBS and any others?

3