St John's Wort
St John's Wort: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
St John’s worts belong to the genus Hypericum, in the Hypericaceae family. The name covers plants with very different outlines, valued in gardens for usually yellow flowers and numerous stamens. Commonly encountered forms may be herbaceous plants or shrubs. They are therefore not a single species with identical height, foliage and behaviour in every garden.The leaves are often arranged in opposite pairs along the stems. Shape, size and persistence vary with species and selection. A herbaceous St John’s wort may renew its aboveground growth through the seasons, whereas a shrub retains a woody framework. Some types stay low and spread; others form a more upright outline. This diversity explains why plants sharing the same common name can occupy very different amounts of space and contribute different structures to a planting.The yellow flowers have a conspicuous group of stamens at their centre. The contrast between petals and this central feature creates…
