Are you dreaming of planting St. John's wort in your own garden? Whether you want to use it as an ornamental or a crop, check out the best species for gardening below!

Only real St. John's wort is used for the production of natural medicine

Around 350 species worldwide

Around 350 species of St. John's wort are distributed all over the world. There are 9 species in this country, including the real St. John's wort, the beautiful St. John's wort (Hypericum pulchrum) and the winged St. John's wort (Hypericum tetrapterum).

St. John's wort - important in medicine

St. John's wort is used for medical purposes, such as the production of St. John's wort tea and St. John's wort capsules. It grows between 20 and 100 cm high and has golden yellow flowers. There are 4 subspecies of this species, which differ mainly in terms of their leaves and flowers.

The subspecies of St. John's wort

Here are the subspecies:

  • Broad-leaved St. John's Wort: wider leaves and larger flowers
  • Small-leaved St. John's Wort: smaller leaves and flowers
  • Common St. John's Wort: medium-sized leaves and flowers
  • Narrow-leaved St. John's Wort: narrower leaves and smaller flowers

Carpet St. John's Wort: The largest flowers

Another species that gardeners like to plant in this country - and is particularly important as a ground cover - is the carpet St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum). It is excellent for planting slopes and embankments, as well as underplanting trees and shrubs. This specimen grows to a maximum height of 30 cm and has the largest flowers of all St. John's wort species at 8 cm.

Other interesting species

Here are some other interesting St. John's wort species:

  • Dwarf St. John's Wort: 15 cm high, for rock gardens and dry stone walls, for example
  • St. John's wort: on average 10 to 20 cm high
  • Lemon St. John's Wort: fragrant flowers, ideal for tea, a subshrub 100 cm high
  • Blood St. John's Wort: orange-red or yellow fruits, suitable for floristry, up to 1 m high

Characteristics common to all species

All St. John's wort species bloom in Germany around June 24th. Thus, their heyday is a unifying trait. Furthermore, all species have cup-shaped flowers that are built up in fives. The location requirements are also very similar. Sunny to partially shaded locations are preferred.

tips

If you would like to create flower arrangements or dried bouquets, the blood St. John's wort with its eye-catching berries is best suited for this!

Category:

Herbs