| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Family | Clusiaceae |
| Genus | Hypericum |
| Species | H. perforatum |
| Binomial name | Hypericum perforatum |
Other Common Names:
The other common names for the herb St.John's wort are Amber Touch-and-heal, Goatweed, Hypericum,Johnswort, Klamath Weed, Rosin Rose, St. John's Grass and Tipton Weed.
History
St. John's wort is a plant with yellow flowers whose medicinal uses were first recorded in ancient Greece. The name St. John's wort apparently refers to John the Baptist, as the plant blooms around the time of the feast of St. John the Baptist in late June." The flower gets its name," says F. Schuyler Mathews, "from the superstition that on St. John's day, the 24th of June, the dew which fell on the plant the evening before was efficacious in preserving the eyes from disease. The name Hypericum derives from the Greek name for the plant "hyperikon." The word roots are hyper (meaning over) and eikon (meaning image).St. John's wort was known to such ancient authorities on medicinal plants as Dioscorides and Hippocrates; indeed it is described and recommended as a useful remedy in all of the herbals down through the Middle Ages.
St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is regarded as wildflower, weed, and an herb. As a healthful plant it has interested herbalists since the earliest Greek herbals.St. Johns Wort has a demonstrated ability to act as an antidepressant in both humans and animals. It is this use that garners most of the media attention, but this versatile herb also has dozens of chemical compounds that disinfect and heal wounds as well. St. John's Wort is really a tonic, or overall health booster for the entire nervous system.
Description
A perennial plant growing to about two feet with a woody branched root system producing many round, erect, stems branching at the leaf axis, which are covered with dark red dots, stems are solid dark red at base. The leaves are opposite, sessile and smooth edged, oblong to linear, light green and smooth, and covered with small transparent oil glands that look like holes, more visible when held to bright light.
Range
St.John's wort is native to Britain and Europe and now grows wild throughout much of the world. It is widely distributed from New Jersey southwards to farther north, and westward to Iowa. Thus it is found in Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, naturalized in North America, especially western states.
Habitat
It is found in meadows, on banks, and by roadsides, shady woods and copses and prefers sunny positions and chalky soils.
Cultivation
St. John's Wort is easy to grow from seed or root division in spring or autumn, in any well-drained but moisture retentive soil. Succeeds in dry soils, prefers sun or semi-shade. After the seed is sown in autumn or spring it germinates in 1 - 3 months at 10°c.Seed may be sown in flats or plug trays in a commercially available germination medium, or in a sandy soil mixture. The seed requires light for germination and therefore should be sown very shallowly, at a depth not over two millimeters. Deep planting inhibits emergence and also results in weak young seedlings. Once seeding is completed, it is important to keep the temperature near 15° C. Temperatures of 20° C or higher greatly inhibit germination. At the same time, provision of good light is beneficial to germination, at least for fresh seed. Germination may begin after about 12 days, and will likely continue for two months or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. The flowering tops are harvested in midsummer.
Flowering Season
The flowers are of the thyme are in full bloom in early summer.
Pests and Diseases
Thyme is virtually free of pests and disease, although they are occasionally attacked by greenfly.
Parts Used
The aerial parts of the plant and its oil are the most commonly used parts of the plant for its commercial and medicinal purposes.
Medicinal Applications
• St. John's wort has been used for centuries to treat mental disorders and nerve pain.
• St. John's wort has also been used as a sedative and a treatment for malaria, as well as a balm for wounds, burns, and insect bites.
• St. John's wort is used by some for depression, anxiety, and/or sleep disorders.
• As an ointment, it dissolves swellings and closes up the lips of wounds.St John's wort is effective as a compress for dressing wounds. In the middle Ages it was commonly used to heal deep sword cuts.
• It is expectorant, diuretic and sedative.
• It is used in treating in pulmonary complaints, bladder troubles, in suppression of urine, dysentery, worms, diarrhoea, hysteria and nervous depression, haemoptysis and other haemorrhages and jaundice.
• St. John's wort can be used for painful, heavy and irregular periods as well as PMS.
• St.John's wort has a diuretic action, reducing fluid retention and hastening elimination of toxins in the urine.
• St.John's wort has been used to good effect for bed-wetting in children.
• St.John's wort is also useful for gout and arthritis.
• It is effective in the digestive tract where it can treat gastroenteritis, diarrhea and dysentery.
• St.John's wort is also said to heal peptic ulcers and gastritis.
• It is also valued in the treatment of sunburn and as a cosmetic preparation to the skin.
This aromatic perennial herb belonging to the family Hypericaceae, produces golden yellow flowers that seem to be particularly abundant on June 24, the day traditionally celebrated as the birthday of John the Baptist, the plant is commonly known as St. John's wort. Harvesting herbs during medieval times meant collecting the herb on a specific day, often a day with religious significance. Whether the mention of a specific holy day was simply a means by which to convey the best time of year to harvest the herb, or whether it is believed that collection on that day imbued the herbs with greater power, is subject to speculation. It is believed that the herb is best harvested on St. John's day (June 24th), which is often the time of peak blooming.
There are many ancient superstitions regarding this herb. If you pinch the leaves or the petals they give out a reddish purple stain- the "blood of St. John". Keeping this herb in your garden will protect you from fairy trickery. Carrying a few stems of the foliage was an old way to avoid being "fairy-led", or lost and confused while wandering through the local enchanted forest. Its name Hyperieum is derived from the Greek and means 'over an apparition,' a reference to the belief that the herb was so obnoxious to evil spirits that a whiff of it would cause them to fly. The plant was given to have magical powers. If a sprig of the herb were placed under the pillow on St. John's Eve, St. John himself may even appear in a dream, blessing the dreamer for another year.
