Almost everyone has probably seen St. John's wort in full bloom. But what happens afterwards if the old flowers are not cut off? What fruits will emerge?

The beautiful red berries of St. John's wort are inedible

Ripening time of the berries: August to September

After the flowering period, which usually lasts from June to August, St. John's wort develops its fruit. They mature between August and September. They can remain attached to the plant well into winter before slowly drying up and disappearing.

This is what the fruit looks like

The fruits are vaguely reminiscent of berries from a cranberry bush. One berry appears on each stalk. They have the following external characteristics:

  • narrowly ovate to spindle-shaped
  • almost round
  • 10 mm tall (pea size)
  • smooth shell
  • bald

The fruits are three-compartmental capsules. They are usually coral red in colour. The red creates a nice contrast to the green leaves. This means that St. John's wort still has a certain ornamental value in autumn.

Take a look at the seeds

When you open the berry-like fruits you will see that they are fleshy. The seeds are in the capsules. These will be 1 mm long. They are curved and finely reticulated. You can sow the seeds. But beware: They are light germs!

Berries are inedible

Even if the berries look delicious with their red color - they are not edible. That means they are not very tasty. They contain bitter substances. However, these fruits are not poisonous.

The color changes

At first, the berries are extremely inconspicuous with their green color. They gradually turn red to reddish brown. Some specimens are even glossy black when fully ripe. This includes, for example, Hypericum androsaemum. The berries of this species are only light yellow in color. Hypericum elatum, on the other hand, forms pink berries.

tips

It is best not to let the plant develop its berries in the first place. The fruits with the contained seeds withdraw many nutrients/a lot of strength from the St. John's wort.

Category:

Herbs