St. John's Wort Hypericum lloydii
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called St. John's Wort:
Previously known as:
- Hypericum galioides var. lloydii
- Phonetic Spelling
- hy-PEER-ih-kum loy-DEE-eye
- Description
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Sandhills St. John's Wort is a perennial, deciduous subshrub that grows to about 8 inches tall with showy yellow flowers. It is one of more that 400 species of Hypericum, which include herbs, shrubs and trees, with different bloom times and cultural requirements. This plant is found naturally in dry woodlands, sand hills, road banks, and on the edge of flat rocks. It is not commonly found in the lower Piedmont and is generally rare to very uncommon in the Coastal Plain, including the Sandhills. It can occasionally be seen in large numbers in a few favored sites. This plant has a spreading habit. Sandhills St. John's Wort is stoloniferous and has fragrant awl or needle-like leaves.
The bright yellow, 5-petaled flowers usually grow in small clusters at the ends of branches but can grow in axils. When in full bloom, the plant is quite showy and a colony of them can be quite spectacular along a woodland margin. Sandhills St. John's Wort requires at least 6 hours of sun a day for maximum blooms and does best in dry soil.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Pinehurst Greenway Pollinator Habitat Garden, Moore County
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hypericum
- Species:
- lloydii
- Family:
- Clusiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeastern United States
- Distribution:
- Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , Virginia, and Alabama.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 8 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 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:
- A 3 to 5 celled capsule, sometimes fleshy. Fruit is available June-October.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Long Bloom Season
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are about 1/3 inch. Solitary or cymose, terminal or axillary. Yellow (usually) 5-petaled (rarely 4), 5 sepals (rarely 4); stamens numerous, in bundles or in showy boss; Flowers bloom June-September.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Whorled
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The linear leaves grow to an average of about 2/3-inch, and other leaves can grow in the axils so as to make plants appear to have whorled leaves. In the winter, leaves may appear bronze. They are very narrow, nearly looking like needles. Opposite or whorled, decussate, simple, entire; sessile or petiole short.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Numerous branches from the base, some erect and other spreading. Contains 2 to 4(up to 6) ridges on newer growth, smooth and rounded on older growth.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Rock Wall
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
