Shrubby St Johnswort

Description

Shrubby St Johnswort, Hypericum frondosum,  is a native shrub found most often in rocky glades. It is tolerant of a variety of conditions. While it prefers a moist, well drained soil, it can also do well on dry sites, sites with occasional flooding, alkaline soils and clay soils.

This one is not to be confused with the European St Johnsworts commonly seen in landscaping. Shrubby St Johnswort blooms in June and July and has no nectar but it produces so much pollen that honeybees turn bright yellow working its blooms. It is an actual bee magnet with all that pollen. Its bright yellow flowers stand out against the sea of mid summer green. The tan seed capsules add interest long after the sunny flowers are gone. Older stems have an exfoliating bark that shows off a bronze inner bark in winter. Shrubby St Johnswort blooms on new growth so pruning should be done during late winter or very early spring.

It is hardy in zones 5 to 8 and grows to 3′ to 4′ tall. When grown in the open, it becomes a mounding shrub. This is a good choice for dry rocky locations with difficult soils. It is deer and rabbit resistant.