Bedstraw St. John's Wort Hypericum galioides
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Hypericum ambiguum
- Phonetic Spelling
- hy-PER-ih-kum gal-ee-OY-deez
- Description
-
Bedstraw St. John's Wort is a perennial, flowering shrub in the Hypericaceae family found in wet to moist habitats in the coastal plain of the southeastern United States from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Texas. In nature, it can often be seen in stream banks, swamps, river bottoms, floodplains, lake edges, wet pine forests and ditches.
Plant in full sun to partial shade in moist to wet, well-drained, fertile soils. Give it some water during dry spells. It grows in a clumping, compact, multibranched form and will reach 1 to 5 feet tall and wide. It is easy to grow and is deer, humidity and heat resistant. It will spread by reseeding.
It blooms mid-summer with clusters of yellow flowers with many central stamens, up to 1/2 inch across. The leaves are mostly sessile, narrow and 5 to 14 inches long.
Use bedstraw St. John's Wort along a pond, stream or bog. It will help prevent erosion along these banks. Use in the border of rain, water, and pollinator/native gardens.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Brodie'
Blue-green leaves and yellow flowers
- 'Brodie'
- 'Brodie'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Brodie'
Blue-green leaves and yellow flowers
- 'Brodie'
- 'Brodie'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hypericum
- Species:
- galioides
- Family:
- Hypericaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North Carolina south to Florica and west to Texas
- Distribution:
- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas
- Wildlife Value:
- Important food source for wildlife.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Three- to five-celled oval, pointed capsule, sometimes fleshy. The fruits are 1/4 inch long and ovoid.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cup
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Bright yellow flowers with 5 petals and many central stamens, in bloom from summer into early fall. The flowers are up to 1/2 inch across in terminal and axillary cymes
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Oblanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Simple very narrow leaves are 5 to 14 inches long and 1/4 inch across with mostly acute tips. Opposite or whorled, on the stem. They are decussate with entire margins and sessile or short-stemmed.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- Contain 2 to 4 (up to 6) ridges on newer growth, smooth and rounded on older growth.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Pond
- Riparian
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Water Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Heat
- Humidity
