St John’s Worts  are mostly medium height hairless perennials or undershrubs such as tutsans and Rose of Sharon. Flowers are  held in branched, usually leafy clusters (Rose of Sharon is solitary) are open, yellow in colour with usually black-dotted petals and sepals and looking almost furry with their many stamens. Leaves are opposite, untoothed , with translucent veins and often black and/or transluscent dots. Fruit is a dry capsule (except tutsans).

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TUTSAN Hypericum androsaemum

Height: 40-100cm (16-40″) Habitat: Found in shady woods and hedgerows.

Flowering: June to August

Flowers have five yellow petals, 2cm across Fruits Berries that ripen from red to black Leaves Oval, to 15cm long, in opposite pairs.  Status Locally common in South & West of Britain & Ireland.

 

 

 

 

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PERFORATE ST. JOHN’S WORT Hypericum perforatum – also known as Common St.John’s Wort; in Welsh 

Flowering: June to August (September)

Height: up to 80cm (16-40″) Habitat: Found in grassland, scrub and open woodland, usually on calcareous soils

Flowers are deep golden yellow 2.5cm (1″) across, often with black spots on edge, with stamens in 3 bundles Fruits Dry capsules Leaves Oval with transluscent and sometimes also black dots, in opposite pairs Stem has two narrow wings running down its length UK Status Widespread

 

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PALE ST. JOHN’S WORT Hypericum montanum

Height: Medium/tall to 1 metre Habitat: Open woodland, hedge-banks, rocky places, usually on  lime.

Flowering: July-September

Flowers are pale yellow, 10-15mm across, the sepals black-dotted Fruits Dry capsules Stems are downy, rather stiff and not ridged Leaves are opposite, untoothed, with translucent veins and black dots. Fruit is a dry capsule

Found locally on the edge of the Woodland Trail of Bryn Euryn Nature Reserve, Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy.