Scientific Name:
Hypericum perforatum
Pronunciation:
hy-PEER-ih-kum per-for-AY-tum
Common Name:
St. John's wort
Family Name:
Hypericaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial, Invasive plant
Key ID Features:
Upright, highly branched stems 10-100cm tall; rhizomes; leaves sessile, opposite, lanceolate-oblanceolate, most 1-3cm long x 0.5-1.5cm wide, glabrous, when held up to light small clear dots or perforations can be seen, black marginal dots; corymb-like cyme, flowers ~3cm wide, bight yellow, 5 petals, 8-10mm long, many stamens; capsules 5-8mm long.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Africa - northern, Central / west Asia, Europe, S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Medicinal plant
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite, Sessile
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Oblanceolate, Oblong
Apices:
Obtuse, Rounded
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red, Brown
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Seed, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Anthracnose, Thrips (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
