Straggling St. John's-wort Hypericum hypericoides subsp. multicaule
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Ascyrum hypericoides var. multicaule
- Hypericum stragulum
- Phonetic Spelling
- hy-PER-ih-kum hy-per-ee-KOY-deez subspecies mul-tee-KAW-lee
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Reclining St. Andrew's Cross is a native perennial, low-growing, shrub in the St. John's Wort Family (Hypericaceae). In nature, it is found in the central and eastern United States and is common to the dry woodlands of the North Carolina mountains and Piedmont. The stems grow up to 1 foot long and are erect to recumbent, many-branched from the base and matt forming. It can be found usually growing in somewhat acidic sandy loams in forest edges, streambanks, pond margins, roadsides, and disturbed areas.
The Genus name is from the Greek: hyper, meaning “above” and eikon, meaning “image,” referring to the practice of hanging these flowers above icons. The subspecies name multicaule means many-branched. The species epithet stragulum refers to the reclining, straggling habit of this plant.
This plant will tolerate most moist to dry well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. Best blooming occurs in full sun. The small bright yellow flowers appear during the summer and attract pollinators. It reproduces by seed.
Use this plant in the native pollinator garden, meadows, forest edges and pond edges.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. It is fairly short-lived.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hypericum
- Species:
- hypericoides
- Family:
- Hypericaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America.
- Distribution:
- AL, AR, DC, DE , GA , IL , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant attracts birds, bees, and other pollinators.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Mounding
- Multi-stemmed
- Prostrate
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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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 pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Oval capsules taper abruptly to the short beaks and contain numerous seeds. Fruit displays from July to November.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Cross
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Four sepals and four narrow yellow petals each a 1/2 inch long form an X shape. They appear in groups of 1-3 in the upper leaf axils and have multiple long stamens. Flowers bloom from June to August.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Oblanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- 1" long simple, opposite, entire margins, oblanceolate to linear, wider at the tips than the middle, with glands on leaf surface. Leaves are sessile (no stems).
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Surface:
- Corky Ridges
- Stem Description:
- Younger stems are dark red. Older stems are woody and angular with ridges.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Pond
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Dry Soil
- Problems:
- Short-lived
