Shrubby St. John's Wort Seed Packet
Description
During the Middle Ages, it was hung in windows to ward off witches on St. John's Eve. (June 23) It was used for all sorts of cures. And it was the "truth teller" that told young maidens whom they would marry. "Just toss a bunch over your shoulder, and the next man you meet will be your own." St. John's Wort probably has more historical legends than any other wildflower, and its fame has been renewed in our own day. The herbal medicine experts who have elevated native plants like echinacea to valued medicinal status, have discovered that St. John's Wort is mother nature's "Prozac," giving nervous people a wonderful calm feeling.
For our purposes, the starry flowers, that are always described as "frothy" due to the crowd of delicate stamens, are lovely in the garden, bunched at the end of stiff stems on dependably perennial plants.