Common St Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Common St Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Origin:
Hypericum perforatum has been used since the ancient times. It’s origins are rooted in Europe, North-Africa and Central-Asia. Nowadays it has spread almost everywhere around the world. The plant usually (northern hemisphere) starts to flower around the summer solstice which also made it a symbol of the sun and light and it was often used in flower bouquets and wreaths to celebrate the summer solstice. It was also wildly in use for love oracles and as a good luck charm to avoid disaster/calamity/harm.
Today it’s mostly known for it’s antidepressant properties and therefore it’s use in medicine.
Appearance of the plant:
Hypericum perforatum is an herbaceous perennial plant with extensive, creeping rhizomes. Its reddish stems are erect and branched in the upper section, and can grow up to 1 m high. The stems are woody near their base and may appear jointed from leaf scars. The branches are typically clustered about a depressed base. It has opposite and stalk-less leaves that are narrow and oblong in shape and 1–2 cm long. Leaves borne on the branches subtend the shortened branch-lets. The leaves are yellow-green in color, with scattered translucent dots of glandular tissue. The dots are conspicuous when held up to the light, giving the leaves a perforated appearance. The flowers measure up to 2.5 cm across, have five petals and sepals, and are colored bright yellow with conspicuous black dots. The flowers appear in broad helicoid cymes at the ends of the upper branches, between late spring and early to mid-summer. The cymes are leafy and bear many flowers. The pointed sepals have black glandular dots. The many stamens are united at the base into three bundles. The pollen grains are ellipsoidal. The black and lustrous seeds are rough, netted with coarse grooves.
When flower buds (not the flowers themselves) or seed pods are crushed, a reddish or purple liquid is produced.
Soil and location:
common St. Johns wort needs and loves full sun. It grows almost everywhere but clearly prefers sandy soil with compost.
Care:
no special care needed besides some water in a drought period.
Medical effective components:
The plant contains the following medical effective components:
flavonoids, phenolic acids, naphtodianthrones, phloroglucinols, tannins, volatile oils, saturated fatty acids, alkanols, vitamins and their analogues.
The plant needs to be harvested when in full bloom.
Flower Oil:
Use dried or fresh flowers (50g) in a jar with olive oil (200ml), let sit for about 3 weeks in a warm and sunny spot. The oil should get a red hue. Strain and fill into a brown glass bottle and keep it tightly closed. Air contact lets it get rancid very fast, but if kept closed it can be stored for about 2 years. The oil can be used on the skin with light burns or rheumatic problems to help fight inflammatory.
It also can be consumed to lessen anxiety and help with insomnia. Therefore consume 3x 1 teaspoon of the Oil, be careful, most people react with nausea if they try to consume a teaspoon full of oil.
Anti depressant tea:
use 2-4g of mixed dried flowers and leaves on one cup, brew with hot water, let sit for about 10 minutes then strain.
Contraindication:
St. Johns wort heightens the photo-sensibility, so be careful with sunlight. If you use the herb in any amount but need to take other medication you might want to consult your doctor or pharmacist as there can be cross reactions.
As always: Please be considerate and use common sense when using or handling Turmeric for whatever reason.
Origin:
Hypericum perforatum has been used since the ancient times. It’s origins are rooted in Europe, North-Africa and Central-Asia. Nowadays it has spread almost everywhere around the world. The plant usually (northern hemisphere) starts to flower around the summer solstice which also made it a symbol of the sun and light and it was often used in flower bouquets and wreaths to celebrate the summer solstice. It was also wildly in use for love oracles and as a good luck charm to avoid disaster/calamity/harm.
Today it’s mostly known for it’s antidepressant properties and therefore it’s use in medicine.
Appearance of the plant:
Hypericum perforatum is an herbaceous perennial plant with extensive, creeping rhizomes. Its reddish stems are erect and branched in the upper section, and can grow up to 1 m high. The stems are woody near their base and may appear jointed from leaf scars. The branches are typically clustered about a depressed base. It has opposite and stalk-less leaves that are narrow and oblong in shape and 1–2 cm long. Leaves borne on the branches subtend the shortened branch-lets. The leaves are yellow-green in color, with scattered translucent dots of glandular tissue. The dots are conspicuous when held up to the light, giving the leaves a perforated appearance. The flowers measure up to 2.5 cm across, have five petals and sepals, and are colored bright yellow with conspicuous black dots. The flowers appear in broad helicoid cymes at the ends of the upper branches, between late spring and early to mid-summer. The cymes are leafy and bear many flowers. The pointed sepals have black glandular dots. The many stamens are united at the base into three bundles. The pollen grains are ellipsoidal. The black and lustrous seeds are rough, netted with coarse grooves.
When flower buds (not the flowers themselves) or seed pods are crushed, a reddish or purple liquid is produced.
Soil and location:
common St. Johns wort needs and loves full sun. It grows almost everywhere but clearly prefers sandy soil with compost.
Care:
no special care needed besides some water in a drought period.
Medical effective components:
The plant contains the following medical effective components:
flavonoids, phenolic acids, naphtodianthrones, phloroglucinols, tannins, volatile oils, saturated fatty acids, alkanols, vitamins and their analogues.
The plant needs to be harvested when in full bloom.
Flower Oil:
Use dried or fresh flowers (50g) in a jar with olive oil (200ml), let sit for about 3 weeks in a warm and sunny spot. The oil should get a red hue. Strain and fill into a brown glass bottle and keep it tightly closed. Air contact lets it get rancid very fast, but if kept closed it can be stored for about 2 years. The oil can be used on the skin with light burns or rheumatic problems to help fight inflammatory.
It also can be consumed to lessen anxiety and help with insomnia. Therefore consume 3x 1 teaspoon of the Oil, be careful, most people react with nausea if they try to consume a teaspoon full of oil.
Anti depressant tea:
use 2-4g of mixed dried flowers and leaves on one cup, brew with hot water, let sit for about 10 minutes then strain.
Contraindication:
St. Johns wort heightens the photo-sensibility, so be careful with sunlight. If you use the herb in any amount but need to take other medication you might want to consult your doctor or pharmacist as there can be cross reactions.
As always: Please be considerate and use common sense when using or handling Turmeric for whatever reason.
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