St John's wort, <em>Hypericum</em>: which variety to choose?

Choose form: shrubby St John's-wort or groundcover?

Bush varieties: to plant as specimens, in a hedge or at back of a border

These varieties are quite large and have an upright, erect habit. They can be used as specimens, for example in middle of a short grass meadow, or planted at back of a border to form a bright background. They will also fit well in a natural hedgerow with other colour-flowering bushes such as buddleias, Kerria japonica, spiraeas or roses. Among shrubby St John’s-wort, we particularly recommend variety ‘Hidcote’, which reaches up to 1.50 m in height. It forms a dense, compact bush and produces from July to October attractive golden-yellow flowers. Undemanding, it adapts especially well to poor, dry, infertile soil. You can also choose a variety such as St John’s-wort ‘Rheingold’, which bears delicate bright-yellow flowers followed by red fruit. Also discover variety ‘Golden Beacon’, notable for its superb golden leaves.

Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ (photo Evelyn Simak)

Groundcover St John’s-worts, for rockeries or edges

These mat-forming varieties are ideal for bringing colour to a rockery or border edge. They can also be planted at front of a border. We particularly recommend Olympic St John’s-wort, Hypericum olympicum, which forms a charming groundcover with very fine leaves! In summer it is covered with countless bright-yellow flowers bearing long stamens. It is ideal in a rockery in dry, well-draining soil, alongside helianthemums, Erigeron and Gypsophila. Also discover Hypericum calycinum, which does not exceed 35 cm in height. Its creeping stems allow it to spread to form a superb groundcover. It is very robust and resistant, easy to grow. It adapts perfectly to difficult, infertile, rocky soils where other plants struggle to establish! In addition, it forms a dense tapetum that suppresses weeds. This St John’s-wort also provides a solution for covering a bank or a corner of the garden that is hard to cultivate and maintain! It will grow in sun or shade.

Hypericum olympicum and Hypericum calycinum (photos: Ghislain118 / Sten Porse)

Enjoy decorative, colourful fruits!

St John’s-worts are also interesting for their fleshy, rounded fruits that follow flowers! These fruits are appreciated by birds, which sometimes come to feed on them. They can take various hues: white, pink, orange, red, yellow, purple… and then turn black at ripeness. We recommend Hypericum inodorum, especially those from the ‘Magical’ series: their fruits offer a true diversity of colours! Discover for example the ‘Magical White Kolmawhi’ variety, which bears white berries resembling pearls, highlighted by its blue-tinged foliage. For a tangy shade, choose St John’s-wort ‘Magical Pumpkin’, with salmon-orange fruits, or St John’s-wort ‘Magical Beauty’, whose fruits take on a superb pink-orange colour. St John’s-wort ‘Magical Sunshine’, meanwhile, bears yellow fruits that therefore match perfectly with flowers, creating a very harmonious effect! Finally, St John’s-wort ‘Rheingold’ stands out for its bright red fruits, which contrast with tender green foliage and yellow flowering.

Varieties ‘Magical Beauty’, ‘Magic Marbles Red’ and ‘Magic Marbles Ivory’

For their colourful foliage

Some St John’s wort varieties are notable for their coloured leaves! We particularly like Hypericum moserianum ‘Tricolor’: its green leaves are variegated with cream-yellow and pink, which makes it really distinctive, especially as its stems are also pink. If you want golden foliage to bring light into a border, we recommend St John’s wort ‘Golden Beacon’. Have fun creating contrast by pairing it with plants with dark leaves! That will show it off to great effect. If you prefer a St John’s wort with bluish leaves, opt for the ‘Blue Velvet’ variety. It has fine, delicate leaves with a natural look. Also discover St John’s wort ‘Radiance’: its young shoots are colourful: they first take on a pink hue, then white, before turning green. A succession of colours ideal for enlivening a border! Similarly, leaves of St John’s wort ‘Rheingold’ emerge with a lovely red hue in spring.

Hypericum moserianum ‘Tricolor’ and Hypericum ‘Golden Beacon’ (photo Leonora Enking)

For impressive flowering

If you want flowering that stands out from afar and brings plenty of colour to the garden, choose Hypericum calycinum, which forms a superb groundcover bearing large bright yellow flowers. You can also opt for Hypericum ‘Hidcote’, a bush variety that produces numerous bright yellow flowers. Plant other bushes and perennials alongside them with colourful flowering, for example in warm shades — yellow, red, orange — which will wonderfully complement St John’s-wort flowering.

Hypericum calycinum and Hypericum ‘Hidcote’ (photos: Toshiyuki Imai / Wouter Hagens)

For a natural, delicate style.

If you prefer to create a garden with a more natural style, favour for example the Hypericum inodorum. Flowers are smaller and are accompanied by colourful fruits. We particularly recommend the variety Hypericum inodorum ‘Magical Sunshine’. It produces beautiful golden-yellow, cup-shaped flowers throughout summer, followed by very decorative yellow fruits. Also discover Hypericum ‘Buttercup’, which bears very fine, tender green leaves and lovely flowers of bright yellow hue. You can also choose Hypericum kalmianum, which has the advantage of producing small, rather delicate flowers and fine foliage!

Hypericum inodorum ‘Magical Sunshine’ and Hypericum densiflorum ‘Buttercup’ (photo: V. Ruud de Block)