A popular cultivar, Hypericum frondosum 'Sunburst' (St. John's Wort) is a tight, dense, upright, mounded shrub with large, golden-yellow flowers, 2 in. Around one-third of the plant (flowers, stalks, and leaves) can be cut without causing permanent damage. Pruning every year isn’t necessary, but if you run the shears along the bush every 2 or 3 years, you’ll ensure your Saint John’s wort will keep a compact bearing. Deadheading will stop the plant from going to seed, while the spread of the stolons can be stopped by installing barriers, as you would for bamboo control. Hypericum is made up of two Greek words: hyper (above) and eikon (image). Ames St John Wort (Hypericum kalmianum 'Ames'): A small, 2 to 2 1/2 feet high and wide, rounded shrub from Iowa State introduction program, 1-inch wide golden yellow flowers in summer, extremely hardy. is a pretty little shrub with cheery yellow flowers that have a burst of long, showy stamen in the center. Each cup-shaped flower presents 5 petals surrounding a prominent tuft of golden stamens. If it has any Achilles heel at all, it is an overly wet soil. It also helps keep the plant in check overall, as it can be prone to getting out of control in … You can test your soil to ensure the right pH balance, and anywhere from 5.5 to 7 is perfect. Seedlings can be planted in the spring. The word, "wort" (most often found as a suffix) is simply Old English for "plant" and is frequently found in common plant names, other examples being: The genus name refers to the same religious practice. You can also use it as an edging or to mark boundaries and pathways where you don’t want to obstruct the view. Spring through fall the dense, leafy form makes it ideal for the middle layer of a border, in a container, or anchoring a perennial bed. St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.) Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, installing barriers, as you would for bamboo control, As a vulnerary (herb that promote the healing of wounds). St. John's Wort plant care is a snap, so let's find out how easy it is to grow these delightful shrubs. Great St. John’s Wort Physical Description. across (5 cm), from early to mid-summer. Remove the heaviest canes all the way to the ground. Spread about 2 inches (5 cm.) Choose a location that receives full, all-day sun or partial afternoon shade. Prized for its various health benefits, St. John’s Wort is famous for its depression-reducing qualities.However, this multipurpose herb is so much more than a simple blues fighter. After harvesting the flowers, the believer would hang them over a painting or statue of St. John in the home. St. John’s Wort is an excellent nectar source for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. St John's Wort makes a terrific companion plant for many of your other plants! If it has any Achilles heel at all, it is an overly wet soil. apart. St. John’s Wort influences many hormones, but it’s primarily known to help regulate common female hormones as well as stress hormones. Prune these shrubs in early spring before they leaf out. It grows well in the summer meadow and is a useful plant for attracting insects[24]. To speed up the drying process, the plant material can be placed on a cooki… The plant isn’t particular about the soil type. The leaves look elongated and slightly oval and are arranged opposite. Obtain seeds or seedlings. You won’t find a plant that will thrive in more situations. Beneficials such as bees and butterflies will be drawn to this beauty in your yard as well helping to pollinate your garden. To prepare it, pour one teaspoon full of St Johns Wort in one cup of boiling water. The primary common name (alternate spellings, "St. Johnswort" and "St. John's-wort") refers to the fact that the flowers were traditionally harvested on the Catholic Saint's Day honoring the nativity of St. John the Baptist, June 24. Common St. John's wort was so valued for its medicinal qualities in its native Europe that settlers brought it over with them to the New World. Remove 50% to 75% of the top of the shrub maintaining a mounded form. St. John’s wort is named after St. John the Baptist, as the plant is in full bloom on 24th June, St. John’s feast day. They are followed by reddish-brown fruits that ripen in fall and persist well into winter. St. John’s Wort is used in anti-depressant and sedatives. The opposite, sessile leaves are ovate to linear and are covered with numerous translucent dots where its essential oil is stored. tall with a spread of 1.5 to 2 feet (46-61 cm. Regulates Hormones. St. John's wort is an easy plant to grow, being tolerant of a number of challenging conditions. However, an annual pruning is necessary to keep the St. John’s wort nicely shaped and full of summer flowers. Pruning St. John's wort after early spring prevents the plant from flowering that year. Sign up for our newsletter. St. John's wort performs best in fertile soils, although it tolerates poor soils. Maintenance Tips: If you desire to shape St. John’s Wort, use the Haircut Method for pruning. The plant material can be dried for later use by hanging the stems, with the leaves and flowers still attached, in a cold, dry and dark place for 7 to 10 days. Growing St. John’s wort herb in a location with too much sun can lead to leaf scorch, while too much shade reduces the number of flowers. They grow only 1 to 3 feet (30-91 cm.) Thus its status as a weed in the opinion of many gardeners. How to Grow St. John's Wort . of compost or rotted manure over the area and dig it in to a depth of at least 8 inches (20 cm.). Although the plant prefers a well-drained soil, it will tolerate compacted ground. Other herbs taste better when they are harvested before flowering, such as mint plants, but St. John’s wort is more effective after it has flowered. In addition, St. John’s wort has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antispasmodic and diuretic properties. Common Names: St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), Tutsan, Aaron’s Beard, Rose of Sharon. Life Cycle: Hardy perennial.Hardy Annual. Gemo St. Johns Wort (Hypericum kalmianum 'Gemo'): 2 to 3 feet high, narrow, willow-like leaves, small yellow flowers with bushy stamens. If you live in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 or 6 to 10 and have a partially shaded site, you can probably grow St. John’s wort. Grow St. John's wort in full sun in the North for best flower production. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart and avoid planting new plants within the spread of the St. John's wort, especially in humid climates. Keep this perennial well-irrigated when you are first trying to establish it. Sometimes, the plant forms very deep and branched roots that can reach up to 60 cm (24 in) into the ground. Common St. John's wort, Klamath weed, goatweed, tipton weed, devil's scourge, rosin weed, god's wonder plant, perforate St. John's wort, 1 to 3 feet tall and not quite as wide; upright growing habit, Rich, well-drained, with average moisture content, Medicinal, Toxic, and Invasive Nature of St. John's Wort. Hypericum St John’s Wort – Pruning, Winter Care and Fertilizing. This plant will provide nectar and pollen for bees and the many other types of pollinating insects. Height: 3 to 72 inches (8 to 180 cm); shrubs and small trees may reach heights of 470 inches (1200 cm). It grows well in sand, clay, rocky soil or loam, and tolerates acidic to slightly alkaline pH. 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