Hypericum is St. Johnswort and now there are well-behaved hybrids
The most familiar Hypericum is St. Johnswort, which has become a popular herbal remedy for stomach ailments, nerves and sleeplessness. It is a European native, used by ancient Greeks and Romans to keep evil spirits away. The name comes from St. John the Baptist whose birthday is June 24, about the same time St. Johnswort is showing off its bright yellow flowers. Last year, Green Leaf Plants ( www.glplants.com ) released four new Hypericums in a group they call Hypearls: Hypericum Jacqueline , Hypericum Jessica , Hypericum Olivia and Hypericum Renu . Hypericum - Green Leaf Plants Since they enjoy part-shade, ours were planted in a dappled shade area two years ago and this year they are growing quickly and blooming. As with most perennial shrubs, these took their sweet time becoming established but now look like they are going to fill in all the allotted space. St. Johnswort loves heat and shrugs off our humidity, prefers well-drained soil, and is cold hardy to zone 6. The new varieti...