Hypericum olympicum (Mount Olympus St. John's Wort)

Scientific Name

Hypericum olympicum L.

Common Names

Mount Olympus St. John's Wort

Synonyms 

Androsaemum adenophyllum, Hypericum adenophyllum, Hypericum dimoniei, Olympia glauca

Scientific Classification

Family: Hypericaceae
Genus: Hypericum

Flower

Color: Bright yellow
Bloom Time: Summer

Description

Hypericum olympicum is a dwarf deciduous subshrub, up to 10 inches (25 cm) tall and up to 12 inches (30 cm) wide, with erect stems crowded with small oval, grey-green leaves. The flowers are bright yellow, up to 2 inches (5 cm) wide, in small clusters.

How to Grow and Care

If you live in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 or 6 to 10 and have a partially shaded site, you can probably grow St. John's Wort. The plant isn't particular about the soil type. It grows well in sand, clay, rocky soil or loam, and tolerates acidic to slightly alkaline pH.

St. John's Wort adapts to both moist and dry soil, and even tolerates occasional flooding. It also withstands drought but grows best with irrigation during prolonged dry spells. You won't find a plant that will thrive in more situations.

Growing St. John's Wort herb in a location with too much sun can lead to leaf scorch, while too much shade reduces the number of flowers. The best location is one with bright morning sunlight and a little shade in the hottest part of the afternoon.

If your soil isn't particularly fertile, prepare the bed before transplanting. Spread about 2 inches (5 cm) of compost or rotted manure over the area and dig it into a depth of at least 8 inches (20 cm). Transplant the shrubs into the garden, setting them at the height at which they grew in their containers. They grow only 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) tall with a spread of 1.5 to 2 feet (45 to 60 cm), so space them 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) apart. Water slowly and deeply after planting and keep the soil moist until the transplants are well-established. See more at How to Grow and Care for St. John's Wort.

Origin

Native to Eurasia, including Albania, Bulgaria, the states of the former Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, and Syria.

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