Saint John’s wort is a shrub producing an abundant blooming which requires practically no care at all.
Summary of key St John’s wort facts
Name – Hypericum
Family – Hypericaceae
Type – shrub
Height – 1 ½ to 6 ½ feet (50 to 200 cm)
Exposure – full sun, part sun
Soil – rich enough
Foliage – evergreen
Flowering – May to October
The penetrating yellow light that its flowers share is remarkable and will attract all eyes to the garden.
Planting Saint John’s wort
What is recommended is to plant Saint John’s wort in fall to support root development.
But still, you can also plant in spring, as long as you water abundantly at the beginning and over the following summer if the weather is hot and dry.
In a container, you can also plant in spring or summer, provided you water regularly.
- Find a very sunny spot for it.
- Saint John’s wort can tolerate any type of soil, even poor soil.
- Place the plant somewhere you’ll notice its bloom, because all those yellow flowers will boost your mood!
- Refer to our guidelines for planting shrubs
Pruning Saint John’s wort
Prune your Saint John’s wort at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring, before the first buds start opening up, to ensure you’ll have optimal blooming.
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.
If the foliage has dried out, feel free to cut back to the ground and new shoots will start growing.
- St John’s wort can take severe pruning when performed at the right time (early spring).
Deadheading St John’s wort
St John’s wort is a repeat-blooming flower. Removing wilted flowers will encourage new blooms.
However, because fresh flowers grow alongside forming fruits, this sometimes isn’t very easy, depending on the variety and the size of the flowers.
Learn more about Saint John’s wort
A very appealing shrub with distinctive yellow flowers, Saint John’s wort is also a herbal plant used by many in herbalism to fight depression!
It is also liked for its evergreen leafage.
Its name, Saint John’s wort, comes from the day it can usually be harvested in Europe, the Feast of Saint John. A particularly renowned species is Hypericum perforatum, which has small translucent glands within the flesh of its leaves. If you look through the leaves towards light, you’ll notice uncountable tiny holes.
Since this is an easy plant to grow and care for, you’ll have great results thanks to its hardiness.
In rocky ground, shrub beds, or even in pots or garden boxes, place it wherever you’re certain to see it so that the bright colors and beautiful flowers may light up your day.
Saint John’s wort is found either as ground cover or as a shrub, which makes it an ideal plant to grow in the ground and in pots.
Most Saint John’s wort varieties are herbaceous plants.
Interesting Saint John’s wort varieties
Hypericum andosaemum – This is the ideal specimen to set up low-lying evergreen hedges. This variety never grows any taller than 32 inches (80 cm) and bears cute little yellow flowers.
Hypericum citrinum – As its name shows, its flowers are a luminous ornamental lemon-like color.
Hypericum inodorum – This very hardy and resilient Saint John’s wort will also bear innumerable flowers.
Hypericum moserianum – The mottled pink and green leaves make this one particularly appealing. Floral buds are pink and the flowers burst to reveal a striking yellow hue.
Hypericum patulum ‘hidcote’ – Considered by many to be highly ornamental, this Saint John’s wort bears very many flowers and truly illuminates your garden.
Smart tip about Saint John’s wort
It also makes for great hedges, because its rapid growth will quickly break the view to and from your neighbor’s.
Just remember to prune it very early in spring because flowers will only appear on new sprigs that will start growing in the middle of spring.
Read also:
- Health benefits and therapeutic value of Saint John’s wort
- Summer-flowering shrubs
- Hedges, great barriers against diseases
Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Single St John’s wort flower by Manfred Antranias Zimmer ★ under Pixabay license
St John’s wort fruit & flower by Manfred Antranias Zimmer ★ under Pixabay license
St John’s wort hedge by Werner Sidler under Pixabay license
St. John’s Wort
this is a question not a comment – does anyone know if this should be deadheaded to encourage more blooms?
Hello! Deadheading of St John’s wort is sometimes impractical, especially for species that bear flowers and fruit simultaneously like H. androsaemum. But that’s exactly when it’s most effective, because diverting growth from fruit production will lead to more new wood growth and flowers. So the short answer is yes, if you’re patient enough to single wilted flowers out!