St. John's Wort Culture
	Family: Hypericaceae Botanical Name: Hypericum perforatum Common Names: St. John's Wort, Amber, Goatweed, Johnswort, Klamath Weed, Rosin Rose, Tipton Weed. .

Active Constituents: There are over 50 active constituents. Most researched are the constituents hypericin and pseudohypericin (the glycosides that are the red pigments, that increases capillary blood flow and are MAO inhibitors). Also contains the compounds choline, pectin, sitosterol, a polyphenolic flavonoid derivative (hyperaside), pseudohypericin, rutin and xanthones. Tannin (responsible for the astringent effect for wound healing) = 10%, Volatile oil = 1% and Resins.

Location grown and found: A short plant with numerous yellow flowers, wild-growing bushy plant, commonly found in dry, gravely soils, fields, and sunny places in many parts of the world, including eastern North America and the pacific coast. Native to many parts of the world including Europe where it was first introduced and now the United States. Found growing wild on roadsides, woods, meadows, and waste places in northern California, southern Oregon and Colorado.
Description of Plant & Culture: St. John's Wort is a herbaceous plant that grows freely in the wild in uncultivated ground. This vigorous, opportunistic plant has spread to all parts of the world. It will grow almost anywhere man has disturbed the earth. Considered to be of excellent medicinal quality when found growing on logged areas at moderate elevations. St. John's Wort grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. The plant has a pale brown stem, top branches and oblong stalkless leaves that grow in pairs with delicate bluish-green elliptical leaves. The leaves are oblong and have dots that contain the oil glands, on the back of the leaf, that may be seen by holding the leaf up to the light. Perforated leaves have transparent spots (oil glands), that look like holes, the unperforated varieties have rust-colored spots. The sap also is reddish colored.

The unopened flower buds are the highest in the red substance, hypericin. The bright yellow flowers bloom in early June at the lower elevations and mid-July at higher areas in the mountains and they appear until September. Each flower has five yellow petals that are dotted with black along the margins and many yellow stamens. The fruit is a three celled capsule containing small, dark brown seeds.

The whole plant has a turpentine-like odor. The flowers appear in late summer and are bright yellow. It is tough and will tolerate average to poor, acid or alkaline soils, extreme heat and drought. Even with extreme wilting, usually it can be revived with water.

Hardy to Zone 5, it requires full sun to partial shade. Easily started from seed, it can also be propagated in early summer by cuttings or division. The seeds are very small and germination is spotty. Seeds may be started in outdoor seedbeds as early as October for spring germination. The plant reseeds very lightly in the garden. In early summer, propagate by stem cuttings. Should be planted about one foot apart, no fertilization is necessary. St. John’s Wort has three extraordinary features that help identify it and virtually rule out any possibility of mistaken identity: the stalk is two-edged, (extremely rare in the plant kingdom). Hold the leaves up to light and you can see the oil glands or transparent dots. The yellow flowers turn dark red when rubbed between your fingers.

Collect the seeds of plants growing in the wild. When the seeds are ripe, shake loose from the capsules easily, collect a thimble full, dry them well and store until the following spring. In May, sow the seed in small boxes of garden soil, keep moderately damp. After 14-20 days the seeds germinate, then after another 14 days thin out the plants. Two later the seedlings are ready for transplanting. Set out 2.5 inches on all sides. In September, move the plants to permanent place in garden, 8 inches apart on all sides. Plants will survive the coldest winter if covered with some brush or straw. The following year the herbs will bloom and be ready for harvest. Hypericum frodosum (St. John's Wort) is a small deciduous shrub with a similar flowers.

Folk Lore, Legends, Myths and Stories: It was once believed, that if you stepped on a plant of St. John's Wort at twilight, you might be carried off on a magic fairy horse and not return until daylight. It's at it's most potent if harvested for medicinal purposes on St. John's Day.

Folklore and fairy tales abound relating to this very pretty herb. It is thought to have the power to drive out devils, predict how soon a person would die, predict if a wedding would, or would not take place.

It has a 2,400-year history of safe and effective usage in folk, herbal, and ancient medicine. St. John's Wort was prescribed as medicine by Hippocrates himself. St. John's Wort's generic name, Hypericum, shows that the herb was highly regarded, having power over evil spirits. It was taken from two Greek words, hyper and eikon (‘over’ and ‘apparition’).

Its ancient name Fuga Daemonum (Scare Devil) testifies to its alleged ability to repel demons. From earliest times people have accepted as perfectly natural the idea that man has a body and a soul. At death the body was easily disposed of, but what to do with the soul or spirit was a different matter. Rituals were developed and performed to honor the departed as fear of what the disembodied spirit could or would do to the living. This was a way for people to protect themselves from the wrath of the dead. Demons and uncanny beings who had never lived among mortals was also handled by rituals. One way to protect oneself was to use the magic of this powerful plant.

With the spread of early Christianity throughout Europe, the plant became associated with St. John the Baptist (not St. John the Beloved). The yellow stamens and bright golden flowers suggested the light of the sun. This was "proof" of the herb’s effectiveness since spirits of darkness hated the light; neither would they come to it. Satan had no power over anyone who carried a talisman of St. John’s Wort. On St. John's Day, June 25, the petals are soaked in olive oil for days to produce a blood red anointing oil known as the "blood of Christ." The plant is hung over the doors or windows, and it bleeds red oil on the day in August that he was beheaded.

In some lands it was burned in huge midsummer bonfires (known as St. John's Fires) for various magical purposes where they would sing, dance, pray, and perfom magical or symbolic ceremonies. Midsummer's Eve is a major holiday in Sweden that coincides with the summer soltice and the presence of the midnight sun, great bonfires are lit and large celebrations take place filled with festivities.

Today it remains a very useful natural dye and as an herbal remedy for certain illnesses, wounds, etc., it was originally used for treating insanity. Among some races it is still customary to burn the herb; the smoke and flame being considered potent for dispelling all types of evil influences.