Botanical profile

St. John's Wort

Latin name
Hypericum perforatum
Common name
St. John's Wort
Type
Medicinal perennial
Family
Hypericaceae

St. John's wort is a perennial medicinal and ornamental plant appreciated for its bright yellow flowers, which bring a beautiful sunny touch to flowerbeds, herb gardens, naturalized borders, and rustic landscapes. Its green foliage, flexible habit, and star-shaped flowers create a very decorative natural effect, while attracting pollinators to the garden. Easy to integrate into sunny areas, it is well suited for meadow-style gardens, rockeries, and areas where a robust and characterful plant is desired.

Easy to grow, St. John's wort prefers a location in full sun or partial shade, in well-drained, light to moderately fertile soil. Once established, it tolerates drier conditions quite well and requires little maintenance, making it an excellent plant for sustainable gardens and low-maintenance landscapes. Light pruning after flowering or at the beginning of the season can help maintain a more compact, well-branched, and more floriferous plant.

Traditionally recognized as a medicinal plant, St. John's wort is mainly cultivated for its botanical interest, its vibrant flowering, and its ability to attract biodiversity. Its yellow flowers combine very well with grasses, yarrows, salvias, coneflowers, lavenders, and other sun-loving perennials. It is an ideal plant to add color, texture, and a natural touch to a medicinal garden, a flowering border, or a sunny landscape.

Care guide

Care level
Easy

Choosing this plant

Main benefit
Bright yellow blooms and a hardy, easy-to-grow medicinal plant
Medicinal garden, natural bed, border, wildflower meadow, pollinator garden
Container growing
Can be grown in a well-drained pot
Seasonal care
Prune lightly after flowering to maintain a compact shape; cut back dry stems in spring; avoid waterlogged soils
Growing conditions

Light, soil, water and hardiness

Hardiness zone
3 to 8
Exposure
Full sun
Watering
Moderate
Humidity
Low to medium humidity; tolerates slightly dry soil once established
Fertilization
Light compost in spring; light to moderate fertilization
Soil type
Light to medium soil, poor to fertile and well-drained
Soil pH
Neutral to slightly alkaline
Minimum temperature
-30°C
Propagation method
Sowing, division or cuttings
Plant appearance

Blooming, foliage and shape

Blooming period
Summer
Flower color
YELLOW
Fruiting
Seed pods at the end of the season
Foliage color
Green
Foliage type
Obsolete
Shape
Bushy, upright to slightly spreading habit
Garden structure

Size and growth

Height
18 to 36 inches (45 to 90 cm)
Width
45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 inches)
Growth rate
Average growth
Vegetable garden and yield

Companion planting, spacing and harvest

Companion plants
Yarrows, lavender, sage, coneflowers
Plants to avoid
Avoid with weak or shade-sensitive climbing plants
Spacing
30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches)
Harvest period
Flowers in summer
Not recommended for pets
Not recommended for pets

Pets

Butterflies
Plants that attract butterflies

Butterflies

Deer
Less attractive or generally tolerated by deer

Deer

The availability of our plants varies depending on arrivals, seasons, nursery production and supplier availability. Some varieties may be offered for a limited time only, depending on their natural cycle or current stock. These plant profiles are designed to guide and inspire you when choosing plants for the garden, landscaping projects, containers or long-lasting outdoor arrangements.