Do you dream of planting St. John's wort in your own garden? Whether you want to use it as an ornamental or useful plant - get an overview of the best species suitable for gardening below!
Which types of St. John's wort are suitable for the garden?
The popular types of St. John's wort for the garden include real St. John's wort, carpet St. John's wort, dwarf St. John's wort, upholstery St. John's wort, lemon St. John's wort and blood St. John's wort. They vary in size, flower color and purpose, but all prefer sunny to semi-shady locations.
Around 350 species worldwide
Around 350 species of St. John's wort are found 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).
The real St. John's wort - important in medicine
The real 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 primarily 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 is often planted by gardeners in this country - and is particularly important as a ground cover - is carpet St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum). It is ideal for planting slopes and embankments as well as underplanting trees and shrubs. This specimen grows to a maximum height of 30 cm and, at 8 cm, has the largest flowers of all St. John's wort species.
Other interesting species
Here are more exciting St. John's wort species:
- Dwarf St. John's wort: 15 cm high, for example for rock gardens and dry stone walls
- St. John's wort: average height 10 to 20 cm
- 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 types of St. John's wort bloom in Germany around June 24th. Their flowering period is therefore a unifying feature. Furthermore, all species have cup-shaped flowers that are five-fold. The location requirements are also very similar. Sunny to semi-shady locations are preferred.
Tip
If you would like to create arrangements or dried bouquets, St. John's wort with its eye-catching berries is best suited for this!
