Tricks of growing St. John's wort - from preparing planting material to caring for the plant. St. John's wort, planting and care

The numerous genus St. John's wort (Hypericaceae) has more than 400 species. Representatives of the genus are annuals, perennials, shrubs, subshrubs, herbs and even low trees that are found throughout the world and in many habitats.

Shrub forms of St. John's wort are distinguished by high decorativeness. They can be broad-leaved, semi-evergreen or evergreen. These plants are popular with gardeners due to their unpretentiousness, ease of cultivation, exquisite golden flowers, which usually appear among the lush foliage in summer and autumn.

The most famous and widespread herbaceous plant is St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), which is widely found in wild nature and is used in traditional medicine. It is not decorative, but can be grown near water bodies, as it prefers moist soil.

Care rules

Popular bush varieties grow quickly, often characterized by abundant flowering, but rather low winter hardiness. Therefore, when choosing a variety, focus on your climate zone. They thrive in light sandy or loamy, well-drained soils. The abundance of flowers depends on the light.

Require regular moisture, but the soil between watering should dry out. During prolonged droughts or in very warm climates, watering should be increased to 2 times a week. Reduce it in the fall, when the plant begins to enter a dormant state.

At the beginning of spring all shrub species Hypericum require good pruning. The procedure is needed to rejuvenate the plant, as it stimulates the growth of new shoots and abundant flowering. Propagated by root cuttings in late spring or by dividing the bush in spring or autumn.

Can be affected by thrips and fungal diseases.

Landing

When planting, the root neck should remain at ground level. Soil drainage is achieved by adding sand, expanded clay or broken brick. Top dressing is carried out in early spring with complex fertilizer.

AT garden design ground cover semi-shrub forms are used for rock gardens and rockeries, and a flowering shrub perennial looks great in the form of a hedge or for decorating paths in the garden.

Popular types of shrub St. John's wort

St. John's wort (Hypericum androsaemum)

This is a dense, deciduous semi-evergreen shrub with upright branches up to 1.5 m high, native to Western Europe and the Caucasus. The leaves are up to 4 cm long, and when pruned, aromatic resins are released. The flowers are bright yellow. Red fruits ripen in autumn, decorating the plant.

Hypericum calycinum Brigadoon

St. John's wort with shiny greenish-yellow foliage. Golden-yellow flowers appear from late spring, and continue to bloom until autumn. shrub plants form a dense carpet up to 30 cm in height. In full sun, the small, oval leaves turn a dazzling gold-orange. Brigadoon requires well-drained soil and partial shade.

St. John's wort (Hypericum frondosum) ‘Sunburst’

It is a small deciduous shrub with reddish-brown bark on mature stems and bright blue-green leaves. In mid-summer - early autumn, the bush is decorated with golden yellow flowers. Reddish-brown fruits ripen in September and remain in winter period. Used in hedges or in single plantings.
Give the plant full sun or partial shade. Soil prefers rich, sandy, moist, but well-drained. Sunburst can tolerate short periods of drought. Need mulch in winter.

St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum)

Grows in a range of light conditions from full sun to full shade. This is evergreen shrub from 1 to 2 meters in height and up to 1 meter wide. shade tolerant perennial very unpretentious. Yellow large flowers bloom in June, and continue to bloom until autumn.

Everyone knows about diversity healing properties Hypericum. This plant has long been of interest not only to folk healers, but also to physicians in modern medicine. But St. John's wort differs from its wild "brother". It does not have such an impressive range of medicinal properties, but it has a much greater decorative effect. A plant in the form of large spherical bushes with spectacular flowers can enliven any area and bring into it bright colors. In this article, we will consider distinctive features varieties of St. John's wort, planting rules and recommendations for caring for this plant.

St. John's wort - botanical description

• The branches of St. John's wort are prone to strong branching, giving a magnificent shape to the plant.
• The oval or ovoid leaves of St. John's wort have a solid edge and are located oppositely on the stem. Depending on the variety of St. John's wort, the length of the leaves of the plant can vary from 1 cm to 10 cm.
• St. John's wort shrub, depending on the variety, can reach a height of up to 1 meter.
• St. John's wort blooms with very showy bright yellow flowers. Flowers can be both large and small, but always in large numbers on a bush. In the center of each flower of St. John's wort is located a large number of long stamens, which are a real decoration of flowers.
• The period of active flowering of St. John's wort begins in early summer. The undoubted advantage of this ornamental plant is the duration of flowering - about 30-50 days.
• The fruit of St. John's wort ripens in early autumn and is represented by a trihedral box with large quantity small seeds inside.

St. John's wort - useful properties and contraindications

In folk medicine, St. John's wort is most often used. It is in it that the largest number useful substances. But varieties of shrub St. John's wort can bring a lot of benefits to a person when correct application. This plant is rich in flavonoids, tannins, phytoncides, microelements and macroelements, vitamins. Folk healers advise using remedies based on St. John's wort for the following ailments:

• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• liver disease;
• disorders of the cardiovascular system;
• diseases of the urinary system;
• "women's" diseases;
• disorders of the neuropsychic state, sleep disorders;
• some skin diseases;
• dental problems.

Most often, infusions and decoctions are prepared from St. John's wort. Before using such folk remedies be sure to consult your doctor. In some cases, St. John's wort may be generally contraindicated. For example, children, pregnant women and people prone to allergic reactions. Among side effects the use of products with St. John's wort in the composition, the following can be noted:

• sudden increase in blood pressure;
• decrease in the effect of certain drugs that are taken simultaneously with St. John's wort;
• weakening of potency in men;
• sudden sensitivity to sunlight;
• allergic reaction.

Thus, the cultivation of St. John's wort on your site carries not only decorative value. Self-harvested plant parts can become good and natural remedy for the treatment of many ailments.

St. John's wort - photo

St. John's wort - the best varieties

St. John's wort "Spreading"

• The natural habitat is the territory from the Himalayas to Japan, Southeast Asia.
• Semi-evergreen shrub can reach a height of up to 1 meter.
• Shrub shoots can be brown or red-green.
• The leaves of St. John's wort are oval or obovate and have a leathery surface. Average length leaves - 5 cm.
• St. John's wort blooms with beautiful yellow flowers collected in small inflorescences. hallmark flowers is the presence of long stamens in the center. This feature is inherent in almost all varieties of St. John's wort.
• The period of active flowering lasts about 60 days, which is an undoubted advantage of the plant.
• The fruit of St. John's wort is a trihedral box with numerous seeds inside, which opens the next year.
• St. John's wort sprawling can be propagated both by seed and green cuttings. The plant is unpretentious, grows best on moist and protected soils. After freezing, it recovers very quickly.
• St. John's wort has been cultivated since 1862. Looks spectacular on rocky sites, in single or group plantings.

St. John's wort "Hooker"

• St. John's wort is a shrub that is most commonly found naturally in East Asia.
• shrub is evergreen which can reach a height of up to 1 meter.
• The flowering of Hooker's St. John's wort is not too long. It begins at the end of July and ends in mid-August.
• This variety of shrub St. John's wort has low winter-hardy characteristics. Growing in regions with cold winters is possible only if a shelter is created for the plant.
• The fruit of Hooker's wort is a leathery box with seeds inside, ripening in early autumn. The shrub begins to bear fruit after 3 years of age.

St. John's wort "Bibratus"

• The second name of the bifraternal shrub St. John's wort is St. John's wort Dyeing.
• Bifraternal shrub St. John's wort prefers to grow in gorges, on rocky slopes of mountains, as well as in forests.
• In the wild, it can most often be found in the Caucasus, in the countries of Western Europe and Asia Minor. In Russia, this variety of shrub St. John's wort is not very popular, as it does not have sufficient winter-hardy characteristics.
• This variety of shrub St. John's wort is also semi-evergreen. At comfortable conditions growth can reach 1.5 meters in height.
• St. John's Wort Bifraternal does not bloom as long as its "brothers". You can admire the spectacular yellow flowers from mid-June to mid-July.
• A leathery box with seeds inside begins to form on plants that are more than 3 years old.

St. John's wort "Hidcote"

The favorite variety of shrub St. John's wort among gardeners has the following characteristics:

• St. John's wort Hidcote grows as a compact and undersized bush. It reaches 1 meter in height and also 1 meter in diameter;
• a huge plus of this variety of shrub St. John's wort is that the period of active flowering lasts from early summer until October. Not everyone can boast of such characteristics. ornamental plant;
• St. John's wort Hidkot flowers are bright yellow, but look a little less voluminous than other varieties;
• St. John's wort shrub Hidkot - a plant unpretentious both to the soil and to lighting. It can grow on dry soils, acidic, alkaline, slightly acidic soils, in lighted places, in partial shade. Shrubs of this variety are not too fond of stagnant moisture, so when planting you need Special attention pay attention to creating a good drainage layer;
• St. John's wort Hidkot is valued for its high decorative qualities and unpretentiousness in cultivation. It can grow both in single plantings and in groups. Gardeners prefer to allocate a place to this shrub in the rock garden, heather garden.

St. John's wort "Brigadun"

• St. John's wort Brigadoon is a low-growing shrub. Reaches a height of 30-40 cm.
• A distinctive feature of this variety of shrub St. John's wort is the color of the leaves. They have a shiny and smooth yellow-green color. The leaves of the shrub are oblong.
• The undersized shrub Brigadun blooms with small bright yellow flowers. They abundantly decorate St. John's wort in early spring.
• A variety of shrub St. John's wort Brigadun shows all its decorative qualities to the maximum on dry soil with a good drainage layer. The plant also prefers open and sunny areas.

St. John's wort "Cup"

• St. John's wort is an evergreen variety of shrub St. John's wort, often found naturally in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria.
• The shrub is quite unpretentious. It can grow both in open sunny areas and in partial shade.
• The plant reaches 50 cm in height.
• Shoots of St. John's wort are prostrate, with reddish bark.
• The oval-shaped leaves of the shrub are leathery and sessile. They can reach up to 7 cm in length.
• A distinctive feature of this variety of shrub St. John's wort are large flowers of juicy yellow color. They reach 6-7 cm in diameter. Admire the spectacular flowering of this unpretentious shrub possible throughout the summer.
• In the center of each flower is a huge number of long stamens, which gives the flowers an incredibly lush appearance.
• The fruit of St. John's wort is a leathery box with small seeds inside, which reach a length of 1 mm. Fruit ripening occurs in October.

St. John's wort - planting and care

Planting St. John's wort

1. If you decide to plant St. John's wort on your site, then first you should decide on the landing site. Although the plant is unpretentious, the brightness of the flowers and the splendor of the bush itself reaches a maximum under certain conditions. Almost all varieties of St. John's wort prefer to grow in well-lit places. Landing is also possible in partial shade. It is desirable that the growth site of St. John's wort be protected from winds and drafts. The plant, like most ornamental shrubs, prefers sheltered soil.
2. St. John's wort is an absolutely unpretentious plant. If your site is dominated by sandy and dry soil, then this perfect option for planting this ornamental shrub. St. John's wort grows on loose, dry soils, on neutral soils or on soils with low acidity. Some varieties of shrub St. John's wort need a good drainage layer. This is especially true for areas where ground water too close to the ground.
3. The simplest and most beloved by many gardeners way of planting St. John's wort is planting with cuttings. You can prepare cuttings yourself or purchase in specialized stores. The stalk just needs to be put for 14 days in a container with clean water. At the end of this period, the roots will appear at the cutting.
4. After the roots appear at the handle, you need to prepare containers for planting St. John's wort. These can be small pots that should be filled with a mixture of sand and peat in a 1: 1 ratio.
5. St. John's wort cuttings will overwinter in these pots all winter. You will need to regularly water the plants, prevent the earthen clod from drying out, but also do not overmoisten St. John's wort.
6. In the spring, you can transplant the grown cuttings into open ground on the permanent place growth. Dig a small hole, at the bottom of which you need to pour a drainage layer and a layer of humus.
7. Place a young St. John's wort in the center of the hole and cover its roots with soil. Do not bury the plant too much. It is enough that its root system will be covered with soil. Compact the soil around St. John's wort and water.

If all the planting rules were correctly observed, and the conditions are comfortable for the plant, then flowering will come in the same year.

Rules for the care of St. John's wort shrub

You coped with the planting of St. John's wort on your site. Now you need to take care of the plant. Even novice gardeners will cope with this, as the shrub is unpretentious in its care. Consider his main care preferences:

• watering. Most varieties of St. John's wort prefer a moderate watering regime. It is definitely not necessary to overdry the plant, but it is also impossible to allow waterlogging. Water the shrub as the soil around it dries out. If the weather is too dry and hot, then spraying the aerial parts of the plant is acceptable. Especially young bushes of St. John's wort love it;
• weeding. Like any other ornamental plant in your garden, St. John's wort needs regular weeding. This will create a beautiful, well-groomed and healthy look for your planting. Weed grass often acts as a carrier of diseases and pests. This is another reason to regularly remove weeds around St. John's wort;
• top dressing. St. John's wort will delight you with yellow flowers even if you do not feed it. But the periodic introduction mineral fertilizers will contribute to more lush bloom and accelerated growth. Experienced gardeners note that the plant responds positively to nitrophoska;
• regular bush inspection. Like any ornamental plant in the garden, it is advisable to regularly inspect St. John's wort. This is necessary in order to notice the first signs of the disease and traces of pests on the bush in time. As St. John's wort grows, dry leaves and flowers may appear, which must be removed in a timely manner so as not to spoil the appearance of the shrub;
• pruning. St. John's wort requires 2 pruning per season. In the spring, as a rule, frozen shoots are pruned. Don't worry if too many shoots are damaged after winter. The shrub recovers very quickly. In autumn, old shoots, damaged ones, are removed. If a shrub St. John's wort was planted to form a hedge, then it can be cut off as it grows;
• preparation for winter. Most varieties of shrub St. John's wort have good winter-hardy characteristics. Well, it's best to prepare the plant for winter if it's expected to be too harsh. Shoots need to be cut to the maximum. the rest above-ground part cover the bush with dry leaves, straw or other material.

St. John's wort breeding methods

Some gardeners mistakenly believe that due to their unpretentiousness, St. John's wort can grow in the same place. long years. But this is far from true. After 3-5 years of growth in one place, the plant begins to noticeably “waste”, lose its decorative qualities. To avoid this, the plant must be propagated. Consider the most popular methods.

Propagation of shrub St. John's wort by seeds

• Propagating St. John's wort by seed is not very convenient, since the seeds are very small, and they need to be sown at a distance from each other.
• St. John's wort seeds can be sown as in early spring, and very late autumn before the onset of frost.
• St. John's wort seeds are planted on prepared soil, where they will grow and "grow up" for several years. Only after this period, young plants are planted in permanent places of growth.
• St. John's wort seeds germinate in the ground, which has warmed up to 5 degrees.
• St. John's wort can also be propagated by seed through the cultivation of seedlings. Fill the containers with nutrient soil and water it. Seeds should be laid out on top, lightly sprinkled with sand. The landing container should be covered with glass or polyethylene and put away in a dark, cool place. After the appearance of the long-awaited shoots of St. John's wort, you need to wait about 2 months to bring them into the light. Now they can be thinned out. Observe a moderate mode of watering young St. John's wort. In late spring, seedlings can be planted in open ground.

Propagation of shrub St. John's wort by cuttings

• St. John's wort reproduces wonderfully by cuttings cut in spring. They are placed in a container with clean and warm water and wait for the roots to appear. Then the cuttings are planted in containers with prepared soil, where they will "grow up" and overwinter. In the spring of next year, cuttings can be planted in a permanent place of growth in open ground.
• St. John's wort can also be propagated by cuttings cut in autumn. Choose for cutting young shoots that need to be planted in moist soil in the greenhouse. It is advisable to shade the landing. In the spring, when the cutting is already well rooted, it can be transplanted to a permanent place of growth.

Reproduction of shrub St. John's wort by dividing the bush

Despite the fact that most varieties of shrub St. John's wort have a rather magnificent shape, its root system does not differ. large sizes. But the shrub is still perfectly amenable to reproduction by dividing the bush. Prepare a planting hole for the new plant. Place a drainage layer there and a layer of humus mixed with mineral fertilizers. Carefully dig up the St. John's wort bush, divide it into as many parts as its size allows. Water the new plant.

St. John's wort - pests and diseases

Almost all varieties of St. John's wort have good resistance to diseases and pests. But sometimes such problems still arise. It is impossible to predict all the causes of diseases and the invasion of pests on ornamental shrubs. Perhaps irregular weeding, untimely watering or "overflow" are the main factors. Among the diseases that can affect plants, we can distinguish:

• rust. If you notice characteristic yellow or orange spots on the leaves of St. John's wort, then this may well be rust. Bushes slow down their growth and development. How to deal with this disease? Affected leaves must be removed and burned in a timely manner. The rest of the plant must be treated with a fungicide, which can be easily found in a specialized store;
• fungal disease. This type of disease most often overtakes shrubs, which are often "flooded" with water. Too damp and humid weather can also contribute to the infection of the plant. Inspect St. John's wort bushes in a timely manner, if necessary, start urgent treatment with fungicides.

Among the insect pests that can settle on St. John's wort, one can list:

• St. John's wort. The insect most often affects the tops of the shoots;
• leaflet. The caterpillar, with the help of a web, envelops the leaves of St. John's wort, its flowers and the tops of the shoots;
• thrips. It is very easy to deal with this pest of St. John's wort with the help of modern insecticidal agents.

If you grow St. John's wort for medicinal purposes, then use any chemicals to control diseases and pests. The best protection St. John's wort decorative bushes is a regular inspection of plants and compliance with all recommendations for planting and caring for St. John's wort.

If you are looking for a beautiful, spectacular and unpretentious plant for your site, then be sure to pay attention to the varieties of St. John's wort. Beginning gardeners will also find it easy to grow this plant. St. John's wort is perfect for creating hedges. An amazing combination of bright yellow flowers against the background of lush green foliage involuntarily catches the eye every time.

St. John's wort, has a number of very valuable and useful properties. Its antibacterial action has been proven by official medicine. About these and other properties of St. John's wort, there will be this article. And also consider how to grow it valuable plant in the allotment.

Growing and caring for St. John's wort

With therapeutic purpose St. John's wort is used. It is becoming less and less in nature, due to the cultivation of land. Therefore, many summer residents grow St. John's wort on the site. For planting, sunny places or partial shade are chosen. St. John's wort is not whimsical to the soil. Moisture is moderate, easily tolerates drought and heat. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, up to 60 cm high. It blooms from June to August. Yellow flowers, after rubbing in the palms, they secrete red juice, which is calling card this type of St. John's wort. In one place it can grow up to 10 years. In care is not demanding. It is important not to be lazy to pull out weeds in young plants so that they gain strength and can get stronger. Therefore, in the first year after planting, you need to weed beds with St. John's wort 3-4 times a season. Flowering occurs in the second year. For better growth and flowering, it is recommended to feed with organic and mineral fertilizers (rotted peat compost, humus, potash, phosphorus, nitrogen).

For cultivation on the site, you can propagate St. John's wort in the following ways:

• sowing seeds in open ground;
• growing seedlings;
• transplantation of wild plants.

Sowing seeds in the ground. You can sow in the spring or before winter. If sown in the spring, then it is necessary to stratify the seeds in wet sand, at a temperature of +2℃ to +5℃, for one to two months. For this purpose, a refrigerator or cellar is suitable. With autumn sowing, germination is better, and sprouts appear earlier. The only negative: if the spring is dry, the seeds may die. It is necessary to sow the seeds in prepared grooves, 1 cm deep. It is not necessary to close up the crops. Just powder thin layer earth. Row spacing - 30 -40 cm.

Growing seedlings. To avoid all the problems with sowing seeds in open ground, you can grow seedlings of St. John's wort in pots or a greenhouse, greenhouses. Plants grow very well and take root easily after transplanting seedlings.

Transplantation of wild St. John's wort. If this plant is found in a wasteland or field, it can be easily transplanted to your site, collect seeds and propagate in a convenient way.

Collection of medicinal raw materials

Harvesting St. John's wort falls on the flowering period: June-August. It is necessary to cut the stems with flowers at the beginning of flowering, the height of the cut shoots is 20-25 cm. St. John's wort should be dried in the shade or in a well-ventilated area. You can collect in small bouquets, hang and dry in a draft. You can store raw materials for three years, in dry rooms. After cutting the first flowers, after a month St. John's wort may bloom again, then you can re-collect flowers. If you need to collect seeds, then the stems that bloomed first should not be cut off. Leave them until the seeds are fully ripe.

Medicinal properties of St. John's wort

St. John's wort has the following effect:

• antispasmodic;
• regeneration;
• antiseptic;
• hemostatic;
• antibacterial;
• anti-inflammatory;
• soothing;
• restorative.

Therefore, it is used in the form of decoctions, lotions, alcohol infusions, essential oils, teas, in such cases:

• Diseases of the oral cavity: gingivitis, stomatitis.
• Diseases of the upper respiratory tract: tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis.
• Depigmentation in vitiligo.
• Inflammatory processes in the kidneys and bladder.
• Gastrointestinal diseases: gastritis, cholelithiasis, inflammation of the gallbladder, colitis, enteritis, flatulence, diarrhea.
• At depressive states, insomnia.
• Difficult to heal wounds, purulent formations on the skin, burns.
• Pain during menstruation and PMS.
• With diseases of the ENT organs.

In cosmetology, it is used for acne, hair loss, dandruff, and has a rejuvenating effect.

The use of St. John's wort

The most popular are infusions, decoctions and teas from St. John's wort. How to prepare them is described below. Important! You do not need to self-medicate, you need to consult a doctor.

Alcohol tincture of St. John's wort. St. John's wort flowers are placed in a glass container and tamped well. Pour in high-quality vodka or diluted alcohol (1: 1). Infuse in a dark place room temperature, 2 weeks. The infusion will acquire a ruby ​​​​color. Strain, pour into a dark glass bottle. It is used in a diluted form, for rinsing the mouth, lotions, compresses. Ingestion only in diluted form. The number of drops depends on the specific disease.

St. John's wort decoction. The decoction is prepared in a water bath. To do this, take 1.5 tablespoons of dry crushed raw materials, place in an enameled container and pour a glass of boiling water. Infuse in a water bath for 30 minutes. Strain. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day, half an hour before meals.

Hypericum tea. Prepared either in a thermos or in a cup. Pour required amount raw materials (at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 250 ml of water). Insist 15 minutes.

Before using decoctions, tea and infusion from St. John's wort, you need to clarify contraindications in order to avoid side effects.

Growing St. John's wort on the site, you can cook yourself medicinal tea or infusion. Unpretentious, perennial and healing, St. John's wort is able (according to legends) to drive away evil spirits and protect the house from diseases. So there are some advantages to growing this plant.

St. John's wort, unlike its wild relative, does not have medicinal properties. Among gardeners, it is valued for its decorative effect. Its large spherical bushes become a spectacular decoration of any personal plot. In order for the plant to have a spectacular appearance, it must be properly looked after.

The best varieties

To date, more than 300 species of St. John's wort are known to science. On the summer cottages only a few varieties can be found:

St. John's wort can be used as a hedge. Its large shrubs will reliably protect from prying eyes. Most importantly, follow simple rules plant care.

For summer cottages, it is better to choose a calyx St. John's wort. He is unpretentious and does not require special care. It can be planted on slopes to strengthen the soil.

Landing Rules

Planting and caring for St. John's wort does not require special skills. Even an inexperienced florist can cope with this. The plant propagates well using cuttings. During landing, it is necessary to follow a certain sequence of actions:

1. Acquired or cut cuttings must be put in a clean warm water for two weeks. During this time, roots should form on them.
2. Petioles with a root system are transplanted into small pots filled with soil. The soil is made up of sand and peat, taken in identical proportions.
3. In this state, subject to regular watering, the cuttings should spend the whole winter.
4. In spring, plants can be planted in open ground. To do this, dig a small hole, at the bottom of which a layer of humus is poured.
5. It is not worth burying the cutting deep. enough to close root system. Tamp the soil well and pour warm water over it.

If planting and caring for St. John's wort carried out correctly, then the flowers will appear in the first year. In order for them to winter normally, they must be covered with non-woven material, for example, spunbond.

St. John's wort is an unpretentious plant. Caring for it consists in regular watering and weeding. AT spring time you can feed him. Responds well to the introduction of nitrophoska in the first two years of growth.

Before wintering, the plant must be pruned. Remove the entire above-ground part. The remaining necks are covered. For this, it is used nonwoven fabric, fallen leaves or dry grass.

As St. John's wort grows, it is necessary to remove dry leaves from it and cut off damaged branches. In rare cases, leaves are found dark spots. This indicates a defeat by a rust fungus. Affected leaves are cut and burned. Even with good care after three to five years, the plant loses its decorative effect, so the planting needs to be updated.

St. John's wort - ornamental shrub with excellent decorative properties. It looks great on the slopes or near the fence. At proper care he will delight you with rapid flowering.

The well-known plant St. John's wort is not the only one in the family of this type of plant. Science knows about 300 species of St. John's wort. Moreover, among the well-known hypericums there are not only herbaceous perennials, but also shrubs, even annuals. Flower growers who are fond of decorative flowers may be interested in this plant, beautiful during flowering and useful in medicine. Then this article is for them.

Characteristic features

Many are familiar and can be found everywhere.

It grows in meadows, forest clearings and slopes of ravines. This modest herbaceous plant attracts not only flower growers, but also healers. Supporters do not bypass him either. official medicine. But knows most of simple gardeners only one variety.

But the plant so popular with us is a weed in Australia, North America and New Zealand grasslands. Why? The reason for this lies in the fact that the flower has poisonous properties for livestock. Especially often sheep get sick after eating it. Probably not without reason it is called St. John's wort. And they know everywhere, as a rule, one of the types of such a plant: perforated.

A little description

Different types of St. John's wort have a very different appearance. St. John's wort is a shrub, grass or semi-shrub. In addition, among the plants of this genus are deciduous and evergreen. Almost all types of St. John's wort bloom well. But in order for that type of plant to grow successfully and not freeze, it is necessary to find out exactly whether it is suitable for the local climate. It is this fact that is the reason why gardeners use only a few species.
In most herbaceous species of St. John's wort, the stems are erect, tetrahedral. The leaves sit on short petioles and have translucent grooves. Flowers in most species are solitary or collected in semi-umbrellas. And the cups are deep, five-parted. But the flowers of almost all species are somewhat different from one another.

Classification by type

As already mentioned, there are many types of St. John's wort, but no more than a dozen of them are used in horticulture. Here are a few species used in gardening.

1. St. John's wort is also called pyramidal. It's grassy perennial shrub with a smooth straight stem, sometimes having a height of about a meter. At the top, the young part of the stem branches and takes a shape similar to a pyramid. This is where the second name comes from. Its leaves are slightly elongated, large. Sometimes they have a length of about a decimeter, and are located on the stem in pairs. This shrub is especially beautiful when flowers appear on it. This St. John's wort sometimes has flowers up to 8 cm, the petals of which are bent to the side. Thin stamens sticking out of the calyx seem like a gentle cloud. The plant blooms long and luxuriantly. This is what makes this flower attractive.
2. St. John's wort is an ornamental shrub. It hibernates without dropping leaves, the bushes are undersized, their height is not more than 30 cm, and the stems are thin. But still it is a very frost-resistant plant. For this reason, flower growers love him. middle lane. St. John's wort blooms from mid-summer to late August. The flowers are located at the ends of the ends of the shoots of 3-4 pieces and have a diameter of up to 5 cm. The lemon color that this garden flower, looks very beautiful in a flower garden or in a flower bed.
3. St. John's wort decorative sprawling, also belongs to the shrubs that gained popularity in gardening back in late XIX century. It is semi-evergreen, branched, even too much. The leaves of this type of plant are egg-shaped.

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Cultivation of St. John's wort

Planting and caring for the plant has no special features. St. John's wort is usually planted in the garden autumn sometimes before the onset of frost. Consider a description of the secrets of how to grow St. John's wort.

This flower loves open, brightly lit areas. This must be kept in mind when choosing a landing site. It can grow in one place for more than 10 years. For this reason, perennials should not be planted around very close to St. John's wort.

For planting a bush, a not too deep hole is prepared, since the roots of the plant are quite compact. In addition, all types of St. John's wort are not demanding in relation to soil fertility. They can develop and bloom on any soil, but they will not refuse top dressing. Therefore, a little humus and mineral fertilizers can be poured into the hole, but only in spring. You can also water perennials with liquid droppings or a solution of mullein. During the warm period, you can fertilize 1-3 times. The bushes are also watered in dry times, especially, but you should not moisten the soil too much. This will lead to root rot.

In spring, the bush can be shaped by pruning to improve the design. And twigs are often used for cuttings. For the winter, the stems of the plant are not cut, because they do not freeze. But it should be remembered that where there are animals, St. John's wort must be grown carefully.

Reproduction methods

St. John's wort can be reproduced using seeds, cuttings, or dividing the bush. It is very easy to propagate the plant from seeds. To do this, you do not need to prepare the seeds for sowing, sow for seedlings, etc. It is enough just to sow them on a selected garden bed and provide freedom to grow. It should only be remembered that you should not sow the seeds too thickly. This will slow down the development of seedlings, therefore, in the case of a dense planting of seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the sprouts, leaving the strongest plants. Over time, after 2-3 years, the grown seedlings are transplanted. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of about 6 C.

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Propagate well with green cuttings. , which is performed in the spring with the help of pruning shoots. The cut branches are “settled” in a nursery and create conditions for future bushes to develop roots. The place of permanent growth is usually produced the next year in autumn.
The overgrown perennials of St. John's wort, if desired, are sometimes divided into different parts and each part is planted separately. Parts after planting take root well. And they bloom immediately, in the same summer.

St. John's wort herb collection

Grass is harvested for harvesting during the flowering period, approximately in June - July. Gather upper part stems with flowers. Cut stems are immediately laid out to dry.
After the first collection, the stems grow again, and after a month about new shoots begin to bloom again. These new flowering stems are again cut and dried.

Compound

The medicinal properties of St. John's wort have been noticed for a very long time. All parts of the plant contain coloring components and tannins, flavonoids and some essential oil elements. It also contains organic acids, for example, isovaleric.

Moreover, there is a lot in the grass useful elements, for example, the plant contains a certain amount of ascorbic and nicotinic acids, vitamin P, carotene. It also contains ceryl alcohol, quite a few alkaloids and other substances.

Application

St. John's wort is used to treat various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Use it as a rinse for stomatitis, inflammatory processes of the mouth and throat. The plant is also widely used externally, for example, for multiple burns. Purulent wounds, abscesses, ulcers are treated. This plant also has an antidepressant effect.

The grass has pronounced bactericidal properties. Preparations made from St. John's wort are used as astringents, weakly acting anti-inflammatory or aseptic agents, which contribute to the rapid restoration of tissues.

Several recipes for the use of St. John's wort among the people

1. For rheumatic pathologies and stomach ulcers, diarrhea, diseases of the urethra and bladder, bedwetting and some other diseases, a decoction is made: for 10 g of dry grass, take a glass hot water, put on a slow fire and boil for half an hour. Then leave for 10 minutes, filter. You need to take such a decoction three times in a third of a glass half an hour before a meal.
2. In case of violations of the functions of the liver and the work of the gall, use a mixture composed of 10 g of dry St. John's wort, 15 g of flowers sand cumin, 10 g of wheatgrass roots and 20 g of buckthorn bark. Half a liter of hot water is added to all this and boiled over a slow flame for 10 minutes, cooled, filtered. You need to drink half a cup about five times a day.
3. Tea from this plant is a tonic drink. It is especially useful to drink in winter. He relaxes nervous system, strengthens the immune system, restores the digestive tract. The recipe for this tea is very simple: it is brewed in a porcelain teapot. Before brewing tea, the teapot is scalded with boiling water. For tea, take 10 g of dry grass and pour a glass of boiling water. After infusion for about 10 minutes, tea can be drunk.
4. The collected grass is dried a little and finely cut, put in a glass jar and poured clean vegetable oil. Then they close the jar and leave it in a place illuminated by sunlight and keep it there for 14 days. After the specified period, the oil is drained. Store the prepared product in an opaque container in a dark place. St. John's wort oil heals cracks in the skin, different types erosion, external ulcers. In addition, this home-made drug is also used for pathologies of the digestive tract, etc.