Freshwater Wetlands/ Dwarf St Johnswort

COMMON NAME: Dwarf St. Johnswort

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hypericum mutilum

FAMILY: Clusiaceae

COMMUNITY: Freshwater Wetland

STATUS: Native

LIFESPAN: Annual or Perennial

HEIGHT: 4 to 16 inches

FLOWERING TIME: Mid-July to late September

FRUITING TIME: Mid-September to late October

DISTRIBUTION: Newfoundland to Florida

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Flowers less than a quarter inch in diameter

GENERAL INFORMATION: St. Johnswort is in the genus Hypericum a name given by the Greeks: hyper, over and ereike, heath.  The name refers to the sandy or loamy soil in which St. Johnswort thrive.  That is, “it grows over the heath”. In Teutonic mythology St. Johnswort were dedicated to Baldur, the sun god, because their yellow flowers come into bloom around Mid-summer’s Day, June 24, the summer solstice and when the great sun god festivals were held.  With the Christian calendar, June 24 became St. John the Baptist’s feast day, and Baldur’s yellow flowers were dedicated to St. John.  Teutonic nicknamed St. Johnswort “demon chaser” and when gathered on Mid-summer’s Eve, it would ward off imps, evil spirits and demons of melancholy.  Hung in doorways and windows or carried in the pocket, it was a safeguard against thunder and witches.  In contrast, on the Isle of Wight, far from chasing demons,  it conjured them up.  If you stepped on the plant after dark, a phantom horse would rise from the roots, sweep you up on its back and gallop away with you for the whole night. Another member of this genus, Common St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), was used the Native Americans for bowel complaints, fever and as a cough medicine.  The crushed plant was sniffed for nosebleed.  The root was chewed, swallowed or poulticed for snakebite.  The root infusion was used as a wash for infants.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.