Indiana has me down, its constant teasing of warmer weather wears on me, even when I’m wearing three layers! Whether you are in Indianapolis, Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers, etc…we all have to endure the perpetual ups and downs. At least we are in this together right!? I thought this week I would talk about a plant that helps pick people up in more ways than one. This weeks Plant of the Week is Hypericum calycinum or St. John’s Wort, a beautiful and medicinal flower!

Sporting a bright yellow flower from July to August this mid range plant will instantly brighten up your mood when you see it. Growing to about a foot in height, St. John’s Wort acts more as a shrub here in Indiana due to our harsher winters. This is a great thing!  St. John’s Wort acts as a very tenacious evergreen groundcover in warmer climates and can become invasive. Thankfully mother nature keeps it under control here, so our only concern is cutting it back in the early Spring to ensure it has new growth to flower on! Its low maintenance requirements make this an easy burst of color as well, especially in full sun locations! Plant this in a landscape and let it naturalize to get its full affect. I recommend using boulders and tucking this plant in and around them to get the most natural looking appearance.

In addition to brightening up your landscape, St. John’s Wort is still used today to treat depressive symptoms! What a perky little plant to bring home with you!  It definitely has improved my mood just writing about it!  Read more about St. John’s Wort’s medicinal properties here.

Whether you are in Carmel, Zionsville or any other Central Indiana location, this plant will be a wonderful addition to your landscape. Read more about it here and if you have any further questions contact Eagleson Landscape Co. We are always willing to help our fellow gardeners!