HYPERICUM perforatum Perforate St John's Wort, Common St John's Wort ____________________________________ Type: Perennial Height: 1-2' (30-60 cm) Flowering Time: Summer Flower Colour: Yellow ____________________________________ Botanical Classification: Class: Angiospermae (Angiosperms) Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons) Superorder: Dilleniales (Dillenia Superorder) Order: Theales (Tea Order) Family: Clusiaceae (St John's Wort Family) (under the APGIII system, this plant is now in the Hypericaceae Family) Genus: Hypericum (St John's Wort) Species: perforatum (perforated) ____________________________________

Hypericum perforatum is a common wildflower, particularly on chalky soils. It is an upright plant, with smallish leaves all the way up the stem, branching at the top into quite a wide flower head composed of many starry yellow flowers with many conspicuous stamens. The name perforatum indicates that the leaves have translucent dots, and the buds and flowers have small dots and dashes of black.

Hypericum perforatum has been used in traditional medicine to calm nerves, relax muscles, to aid digestion and help heal wounds.

There is a similar species, Hypericum tetrapterum (Square-stemmed St John's Wort), which has slightly smaller flowers, square stems, and grows in damp places.

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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

				Germination: Autumn Outside (137 days) Winter Outside (105 days)
Seed Pod The seedpod is a small upright capsule. Seed The seeds are small balls. There are several seeds in a seed pod. Seedling The seedling has bright green wide pointed leaves.