Height: 24 inches
Spacing: 14 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4
Description:
Tough, rhizomatous, semi-evergreen groundcover with bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers. Makes a good, dense understory. Drought tolerant once established.
Ornamental Features
St John's Wort has masses of beautiful gold star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.
Landscape Attributes
St John's Wort is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It has no significant negative characteristics.
St John's Wort is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Herb Gardens
Planting & Growing
St John's Wort will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America.
