RE: St Johns Wort

Hi, Vinata:

The latin name for St. John's Wort is Hypericum. The big question is what species (more than 200 exist) as there are differences in what the plants like. In most cases, the flowers are yellow, and the plants will spread. Most species do best in partially shaded locations and they like moisture-retentive soil.

The plant is the source of a very popular herbal remedy that is believed to stimulate or increase immune levels. I haven't seen it listed as a poisonous plant so that might not be a problem for you.

In fact, John Gerard, writing in Gerard's Herbal in 1636 gives the following recipe:

The plants are used in combination with "white wine two pintes, oile olive foure pounds, oil of turpentine two pounds. . ., set in the sun eight or ten daies. . ." to heal wounds, particularly those "made with a venomed weapon.."

The recipe and lots of information about Hypericum can be found in Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan M. Armitage.

In my yard in Seattle, it proved to be more aggressive than I could handle in the site I had picked for it. I did enjoy the flowering, it was great.

David Soper, "Adventures in Gardening" www.gardenguy.com

 

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