St. John's Wort flowers

St. John's Wort flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Ornamental Features

St. John's Wort has masses of beautiful gold star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

St. John's Wort is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.

St. John's Wort is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Herb Gardens

Planting & Growing

St. John's Wort will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.