Hypericum hirsutum L.
Hairy St John's-wort
Hairy St John's-wort is an upright native perennial that, true to its name, is softly downy all over, distinguishing it from the smoother members of its family. It grows to about a metre tall on erect stems clad in oval leaves, and through high summer it opens loose clusters of pale yellow, five-petalled flowers whose sepals are fringed with tiny stalked black glands.
About
Hairy St John's-wort is an upright native perennial that, true to its name, is softly downy all over, distinguishing it from the smoother members of its family. It grows to about a metre tall on erect stems clad in oval leaves, and through high summer it opens loose clusters of pale yellow, five-petalled flowers whose sepals are fringed with tiny stalked black glands.
It favours base-rich and calcareous soils and is characteristic of the half-shaded transition between open and wooded ground: woodland rides and clearings, scrub, hedge banks, grassy verges and riverbanks. It occurs across much of Britain but thins out in the far north and parts of the west. The flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and hoverflies in mid to late summer. It is a good choice for woodland-edge planting, dappled borders and grassland mixes on lime-rich ground.
Also known as
Hairy St John’s Wort · hairy St. John's-wort
Synonyms
Adenosepalum hirsutum · Hypericopsis hirsuta · Hypericum ferrugineum · Hypericum hirsutum calvescens · Hypericum hirsutum congestum · Hypericum hirsutum fimbriatum · Hypericum hirsutum majus · Hypericum hirsutum pseudomontanum · Hypericum hirsutum villosum · Hypericum montanum congestum
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.