St. John's Wort
 

I have had this growing along some steps for about 10 years now. I have
never seen a bloom. It does die back to the ground every winter. Could it
be that it blooms on old wood? When I planted it, it was in full sun. The
trees have not grown enough that it is only in part sun.

Any ideas why it is not blooming? Or how I can get a bloom?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Judy

St. John's Wort
 

"Judy and Dave G" wrote in message
...
I have had this growing along some steps for about 10 years now. I have
never seen a bloom. It does die back to the ground every winter. Could
it
be that it blooms on old wood? When I planted it, it was in full sun.
The
trees have not grown enough that it is only in part sun.

Any ideas why it is not blooming? Or how I can get a bloom?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Judy

I don't know your zone, but hardiness zones are listed from 6-10. I live in
zone 6, northern AR, and found that St. John's Wort doesn't want a lot of
care. I babied one I had for a couple of years and finally gave up when it
did nothing and moved it to a spot in back of a perennial bed where watering
is haphazard and fertilizer comes from what seeps out of the compost and
fertilizer used on the perennial.bed. It is thriving and covered with yellow
flowers at the moment. Any late season growth freezes back in the winter,
but it is now about two and a half feet tall and two and a half feet wide
and getting larger every year. My one concession to care is throwing some
mulch around it every spring. If you live in zone five, you might consider
mulching it heavily and covering it with leaves before the onset of winter.

John

St. John's Wort
 

Common St. Johnswort, a wildflower, likes full sun. So does Shrubby St.
Johnswort, also a wildflower.
They are generally field plants.
There's a whole chapter on the natural history, folklore, medicinal uses,
horticulture, etc., of St. Johnsworth in a new book called The Secrets of
Wildflowers.
See http://www.acorn-online.com/hedge/secrets.htm
Good luck!
--
===================================
Jack Sanders 91 Olmstead Lane
Ridgefield, Connecticut 06877

St. John's Wort
 

On 14 Jun 2003 09:50:05 GMT, "Jack Sanders"
wrote:

Common St. Johnswort, a wildflower, likes full sun.

Hm, I just planted some this year but in shade, actually.
I'm in zone 9 (I think) and it seems to be doing okay
so far. Has yellow flowers on it. Maybe it just won't
get quite as big.

It gets rather hot here in the summer (although it has
been unseasonably cool this year) and many plants
which are to be planted in full sun, don't do well at
all in the full sun. Some do but unfortunately the
ones that don't, I usually figure it out a bit late
(my fault, of course). Yes, I mulch. Yes, I
water. Maybe if I started things in partial
shade then moved them to full sun they
would be all right. Maybe if I put a little
umbrella over them. ;)

Guess it would be nice to have a bit more
differentiation in descriptions of cultivation
but that might be a bit much to ask for from
everyone.

Gary

St. John's Wort
 

In article , Gary Mattingly
wrote:

On 14 Jun 2003 09:50:05 GMT, "Jack Sanders"
wrote:

Common St. Johnswort, a wildflower, likes full sun.

Hm, I just planted some this year but in shade, actually.
I'm in zone 9 (I think) and it seems to be doing okay
so far. Has yellow flowers on it. Maybe it just won't
get quite as big.

It gets rather hot here in the summer (although it has
been unseasonably cool this year) and many plants
which are to be planted in full sun, don't do well at
all in the full sun. Some do but unfortunately the
ones that don't, I usually figure it out a bit late
(my fault, of course). Yes, I mulch. Yes, I
water. Maybe if I started things in partial
shade then moved them to full sun they
would be all right. Maybe if I put a little
umbrella over them. ;)

Guess it would be nice to have a bit more
differentiation in descriptions of cultivation
but that might be a bit much to ask for from
everyone.

Gary

St John's Wort does fine in shade. Some varieties such variegated H.
androsaemon "Glacier" prefer dappled shade & get burnt-looking & crappy in
full sun, but produce copious numbers of flowers & berries in partial
shade. Some dwarfier cultivars (H. moseranum hybrids) won't bloom as well
in deep shade as they would do better in dappled sunlight or full sun, but
bloom moderately well even in shade. I've one four-year-old wild
H.perforatum which blooms superbly in fairly deep shade; it is twice or
three times the size of the hybrids with flowers twice the size. Right
this minute in two-thirds shade, it is hugely covered over with big yellow
flowers. It was all rangy & ugly last year, but I gave it a hard prune, &
it looks splendid this year. Yesterday I spotted some st johns wort
seedlings popping up nowhere near the primary patch, & I suspect they're
just H. perforatum & I will end up rooting them up to toss, but would be
great if they're one of the others.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/