Most people are familiar
with St. John's-wort, Hypericum perforatum, as an
herbal remedy for depression, but it is also an invasive exotic that is
considered to be a noxious weed in much of the west.It can be recognized as an herbaceous perennial
with yellow terminal flowers and opposite leaves that appear to have tiny
holes, which is what the specific epithet means.Currently there are no reports of it being
found in Alabama,
but there are a few similar native species.There are several legends that are associated with the perforations and/or
the common name.Golden St. John's-wort, H. frondosum, is another one of the many native species that was first collected by William Bartram who used the name H. aureum, which matches the common name, but like so many of his botanical discoveries delays in publication and subsequent discovery by others prevented him from getting credit. There are now
cultivars with more and lager flowers with 5 petals, which could be used in
landscapes including substituting in Biblical gardens considering all the associated legends with related species. Golden St. John's-wort is often found growing around here often in association
with eastern red-cedar, Juniperus virginiana, as suggested by the colloquial
name cedarglade St. John's-wort.Typical
confusion with vernacular names becomes evident when considering St.
Peter's-wort, H. crux-andreae, which has a specific epithet that matches the common name of St. Andrew's cross, H. hypercoides, shown here, where both have 4 petals
per flower although the later is more obviously X shaped like the cross
traditionally said to be used to crucify St. Andrew.
