Care of the plant Hypericum x inodorum or St John's Wort |
The genus Hypericum, family Hypericaceae, includes 400 species of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees distributed by almost all the continents. Some species are: Hypericum x inodorum, Hypericum calycinum, Hypericum canariense, Hypericum grandifolium, Hypericum revolutum, Hypericum olympicum, Hypericum polyphyllum, Hypericum elatum, Hypericum fragile, Hypericum roeperianum, Hypericum balearicum. Common names: St John's Wort, Tutsan. It's a hybrid between Hypericum androsaemum and Hypericum hircinum. They are semi-perennial subshrubs that reach 1.20 meters (3.93 feet) in height. The leaves are opposite, oval, large and deep green (pink when sprouting). They produce small and numerous yellow flowers with long stamens. They bloom in summer. The showy fleshy fruits can be red, pink, white or orange. St John's Wort is used in rockery, as isolated specimens, in borders, in light undergrowths and as cut flowers for floral decorations and bouquets. Hypericum x inodorum needs a sunny or semi-shade exposure. It resists the heat of the Mediterranean summer and frost down to -15 ºC (5 ºF). The soil can be a mixture of 50% garden substrate, 25% coarse sand, and 25% compost. Planting is done in autumn. Water regularly (without ever flooding) waiting until the substrate is almost dry. Fertilize with compost in the fall. Prune intensively (up to 2/3 of its height) in late winter. Hypericum x inodorum is sensitive to the attack of fungi such as Rust. St John's Wort propagates from seeds sown in the fall or spring. |
Images of the plant Hypericum x inodorum or St John's Wort |