Hypericum prolificum, Shrubby St John Wort
- Item #: PP18
- Attractive Bark:
- Attractive berries :
- Attractive Fall Color:
- Attractive Flowers:
- Average - Dry soil:
- Average well drained soil:
- Beneficial Insects:
- Butterflies:
- Clay Soil- High clay content, fine texture:
- Cut Flower:
- Deer Resistant:
- Drought Tolerant:
- Drought tolerant:
- Dry-Moist Soil:
- Erosion Control:
- Fragrant:
- Full - Part Sun (6+ hours of sun):
- Groundcover:
- Herbaceous plant:
- Herbal / Medicinal Uses:
- High Wildlife Value:
- Hummingbirds:
- Loamy Soil- mostly silt, sand, some clay:
- Medicinal Uses:
- Native to Coastal Regions:
- Native To Mountain Regions:
- Native to Piedmont Regions:
- Organic soil- high level of decayed leaves, bark:
- Perennial:
- Pollinator support:
- Salt Tolerant:
- Sandy soil, coarse texture:
- Small Mammals:
- Songbirds:
- UPL- Almost never occur in wetlands:
- Full Sun:
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates wide range of soils, including dry rocky or sandy soils. Also tolerates some drought. Blooms on new growth. Prune in early spring.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Hypericum prolificum, commonly called shrubby St. John's wort, is a Missouri native plant that occurs on rocky ground, dry wooded slopes, uncultivated fields, gravel bars along streams and in low, moist valleys. A compact, deciduous, rounded shrub with an erect habit that typically grows 1-4' (less frequently to 5') tall. Features 5-petaled, bright yellow flowers (to 1" diameter) with numerous, yellow stamens. Stamens are bushy to the point of partially obscuring the petals (hence the species name of prolificum which refers to the stamens). Flowers appear in terminal or axillary clusters (cymes) from early to mid summer. Dark green, lance-shaped leaves are 2-3" long. Cone-shaped seed capsules split in autumn to release black seeds. Bark of older stems exfoliates to reveal attractive, pale orange inner bark. Steyermark lists this plant as Hypericum spathulatum.
Genus name comes from the Greek words hyper meaning above and eikon meaning picture in reference to the practice of hanging flowers from this genus above images, pictures or windows.
Specific epithet means many or prolific in reference to the many stamens.
Plants of the genus Hypericum (some species have been used since ancient times in the treatment of wounds and inflammations) were apparently gathered and burned to ward off evil spirits on the eve of St. John's Day, thus giving rise to the genus common name of St. John's wort.
Garden Uses
Mass or group in the shrub border or native plant garden. Can be grown as a hedge. Also useful for stabilizing embankments.
