- All the essentials at a glance
- A perennial herb with many names
- A closer look at growth, leaves and flowers
Probably most people associate St. John's Wort with a natural remedy for depression. This plant is much more than that. For example, with its golden yellow it is also a pretty ornamental herb. Get to know St. John's wort properly below!
St. John's wort is a medicinal plant native to Central Europe
All the essentials at a glance
- Plant family: Hypericaceae
- Occurrence: Bushes, forest edges, roadsides, embankments
- Origin: Europe
- Growth height: 50 to 100 cm
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Soil: poor soil, dry
- Flowering period: late June to August
- Flowers: cymes, golden yellow
- Leaves: oval to ovate, entire, translucently dotted
- Fruits: capsule fruits, dark red
- Propagation: seeds
- Effect: mood-enhancing, increases sensitivity to light, anti-inflammatory
- Use: medicinal plant
A perennial herb with many names
St. John's wort is perennial in this country. It survives the winter with no problems. It belongs to the Hypericaceae family. Its German name refers to the heyday that takes place around St. John's Day (June 24). Other names for this plant include Proud Heinrich, Witches' Herb, Elfenblut, Mannerkraft, Blutkraut and Johannisblut.
A closer look at growth, leaves and flowers
The overall appearance is bushy branched. While the St. John's wort forms a strongly branched root underground, which can reach up to 50 cm deep, it shows a stalk up to 1 m high on the surface. However, this is usually 20 to 50 cm high.
The leaves and flowers
The foliage is extremely distinctive. You can clearly see the growth on it. The leaves are nearly sessile, arranged opposite each other around the stems.
They are between 1 and 3 cm long, are oval to ovate, thin and have entire margins. If you hold the leaves against the light, you can see numerous tiny dots through which the light shines. Each leaf contains essential oil.
The flowers can be present from June to August (maximum until September). The inflorescence is a cyme. The individual petals are up to 13 mm long and are bathed in a bright golden yellow. Black dots appear at the edge.
tips
The best time to harvest this herb is towards the end of June and through August. At its peak, it contains the highest concentration of active ingredients. The flowers and, if necessary, the leaves are harvested.