Hypericum Flowers

Yellow Hypericum Flowers

Name : Hypericum Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Hypericum, (Hypericum moserianum)
Hypericum Description

Hypericum is a genus comprising of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae and subfamily Hypericoideae. Hypericum has a worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and the polar regions.

Common names for the Hypericum flower include St. John's Wort, Hypericum, Goat Weed, Tipton Weed, Coffee Berry, Hypericum Berries and some varieties are known as Tutsan, from the French words "tout" (meaning all) and "sain" (meaning healthy) in reference to old medicinal uses for this plant particularly the roots.

Hypericum varieties include perennial herbs 5–10 cm tall to shrubs and trees up to 12 m in height. Hypericum is a distinctive yellow flower, with black coloured pin spots that starts flowering from early spring. These blossoms are 0.5–6 cm in diameter, mostly with five petals and vary in colour from pale to dark yellow. Some Hypericum species are cultivated as ornamental plants and have large, showy flowers. Hypericum is a popular flower and numerous hybrids and cultivars have been developed over time. Hypericum leaves are oval and from 1-8 cm long depending on the variety.

Hypericums do best in a light, warm and sandy soil in partial shade to full sun, although blossoms last longer if they are shaded slightly. These plants require a well-drained soil with regular watering to ensure consistent soil moisture. Make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out between waterings. Hypericum can easily be propagated from seeds, cuttings or division of the roots.

Hypericums work especially well as borders for shrubs or perennial flower beds. They look great in rock gardens and pots as well.

Hypericum is a popular cut flower. Florists use not only the blossoms but also the colourful berries that grow on Hypericum plant. These berries add interesting texture and colour to a flower arrangement and can be yellow, orange, pink, peach, red and green. Although less common, green Hypericum berries work best in contemporary-style bouquets and arrangements, whereas the red variety suits perfectly to traditional bouquets and seasonal arrangements - most popular at Christmas time. Cut Flower Life for Hypericum is 7-14 days and they are available all year round.

Popular varieties include: Hypericum moserianum or the St. John's Wort, which has large, deep, glistening, golden yellow blossoms that greatly resemble a single Rose. These blossoms are filled with numerous yellow stamens and red anthers. St. John’s Wort flowers are borne freely at the ends of long, graceful, reddish branches covered with shining, smooth, deep green leaves. This variety blooms from August through October. H. calycinum, also known as Aaron's Beard is a lower growing variety with golden yellow flowers.

Hypericum Meaning

The charming Hupericum or St. John's Wort flower is the birth flower for the month of September and is thought to signify the meaning Animosity.

Hypericum Mythology

Hypericum is known for its wide and varied history: H. perforatum or the Common St. John's-wort is one of the most relied upon medicinal herbs in the world. Hypericum was known to have medical properties in Classical Antiquity and was considered a standard component of theriacs, from the Mithridate of Aulus Cornelius Celsus' De Medicina (ca. 30 CE) to the Venice treacle of d'Amsterdammer Apotheek in 1686. Similarly, Galen and Dioscorides, the first century Greek physicians, recommended it as a diuretic, wound healing herb, and a treatment for menstrual disorders.

Even today, Hypericum is a common treatment in homeopathy, used for the healing of deep wounds or as a relief from depression and in 1994, 66 million daily doses of St. Johns Wort were prescribed for the treatment of severe depression. Hypericum is also said to help with headaches, sleep disorders and stomach pain.

During the Roman era, sprigs of Hypericum were placed on the statues of gods.

During the Civil war, the Hypericum plant would be placed upon the wounds of soldiers; it was even used to make a wine to steady their nerves before battle.

Moreover folk usages of Hypericum in history included oily extract ("St. John's oil"), Hypericum snaps and in the form of a talisman or a magic potion to ward away evil spirits during the Middle Ages.

During Medieval times herbs were harvested on a specific day, often with religious significance. According to this tradition, St. John's wort is supposed to be harvested on St. John's day (June 24th), which is the time of peak blooming for this flower. It was also believed that if a sprig of the herb was placed under the pillow on St. John's Eve, St. John himself may appear in a dream, blessing the dreamer for another year.

Hypericum comes from the Greek name for the plant "hyperikon". Hyper means over and eikon means image. This translates to “over an apparition” or "almost over ghosts", referring to the mystical properties attributed to Hypericum from Medieval times; whereas the common name St. John's wort comes from Anglo-Saxon tradition, where the Hypericum plant was considered to ward off the devil's temptations and drive away evil spirits.