Hairy St John's-Wort is a
native
perennial plant of the UK, typically found growing in grassland, woodland margins and hedgerows, to a mature height of up to 100cm.
Hairy St John's-Wort, is named to describe the coarse hairiness of its leaves and stems, and its flowering period, which covers St. John's Day (24th June). It is an erect plant, growing up to a metre in height. An identifying characteristic of Hairy St John's-Wort is the presence of numerous, tiny, stalked black glands on the edges of its sepals. These glands contain hypericin, which acts as an insect repellant, to protect the plant from being eaten.
Botanic classification and naming: Hairy St John's-Wort is a member of the St John's-Wort (Hypericaceae) family. The genus name
'Hypericum' identifies the plant as a St John's-Wort and its species name 'hirsutum' means 'hairy plant'.
Benefits: Can be used as a wildlife garden shrub.
Benefits to wildlife are also indicated with orange icons in the plant profile bar at the top.
|