Hypericum

More Information About Hypericum

Just exactly who is St. John, and why does he have worts? Botanically speaking, 'wort' is an old English word meaning 'plant', not a skin disorder. Hypericum is a genus of perennial wildflowers that has been associated with John the Apostle for hundreds of years because it blooms on or around the Feast of St. John in midsummer.

In the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that hypericum possessed magic powers and would hang it around their houses for protection from witches and evil spirits. Prior to that, the Druids of pre-Christian Europe and the ancient Greeks also worshipped hypericum because its large yellow flowers symbolized the sun and its bounties. Even today, hypericum extract is a popular medicine to treat depression and other medical disorders, certainly the modern equivalent of being haunted by evil spirits, although that's not why we sell it.

We grow hypericum because it is a great landscape plant that attracts butterflies. It produces hundreds of yellow flowers during the summer months and it is extremely tough. Many hypericums are drought-tolerent, tolerate a wide range of soil types and grow well in full or part sun. When you are ready to buy hypericum for your perennial garden, we hope you'll check out our online offering of hypericum for sale. It is worth noting that some species are North Carolina native plants.