Hypericum
Read about Hypericum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Hypericum is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae, subfamily Hypericoideae (formerly often considered a full family Hypericaceae).
The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar regions. All members of the genus may be referred to as St. John's-wort, though they are also commonly just called hypericum, and some are known as tutsan. The marsh St. John's-worts are nowadays separated in Triadenum.
St. John's-worts vary from annual or perennial herbaceous herbs 5–10 cm tall to shrubs and small trees up to 12 m tall. The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1–8 cm long, either deciduous or evergreen. The flowers vary from pale to dark yellow, and from 0.5–6 cm in diameter, with five (rarely four) petals. The fruit is usually a dry capsule which splits to release the numerous small seeds; in some species it is fleshy and berry-like.
Cultivation
Hypericum are suitable for dry, poor soils. They thrive in sunny positions, although some species such as Hypericum calycinum will also tolerate shade.
Propagation
Hypericum can be propagated by seed or cuttings
- Seed - Surface sow between January and May and put in a cold frame. Pre-soaking in distilled water reportedly increases germination rates.
- Cuttings - Take softwood cuttings from tips of current growth in August and use a sandy compost. Place the cuttings in a cold frame.
Pests and diseases
Hypericum is remarkably resilient to pests and diseases. Very occasionally plants may be infected by rust.
Species
Selected species:
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Gallery
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
- Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
- American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
- Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 -->
External links
- w:Hypericum. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
- Hypericum QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)
