St. John Wort

St. John’s Wort is an herbaceous perennial that is owned by the family Hypericaceae. It possesses an extensive rhizome system and reddish-brown stem that gives the impression of being woody at the base and joint from the leaf scars. Its oblong-shaped leaves are fixed oppositely on their axis. This plant is identified by its characteristic leaves that contain translucent dots and bright-yellow colored flowers.

St. John’s Wort has many benefits associated with it. It is availed as a dietary supplement for the management of blues or depression, menopausal symptoms, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). St. John’s Wort is also utilized to control sleep disorders, lethargy, nervousness, poor appetite. Topically, it is used to accelerate wound healing. However, before the ingestion of St. John’s Wort, the dosage should be consulted with a doctor or pharmacist as its excessive consumption may subject to liver damage. Also, the abrupt withdrawal symptoms are somewhat anecdotal but can bring about symptoms like sickness, anxiety, and dizziness. It seems better to taper the dose before the complete withdrawal.

St. John’s Wort is stocked with several biologically active compounds such as hypericin, hyperforin, isohypericin, protohypericin, pseudohypericin, cyclo-pseudohypericin, and flavonoids. 

St. John’s Wort can be customarily witnessed along the roadside which means that it isn’t particular about soil. It grows healthily in poor dirty soil such as sand, clay, loam, or rocky soil with acidic or slightly alkaline pH. It has been seen that St. John’s Wort doesn’t grow in nutritious soil.

It prefers a sunlit area with partial shade as too much sun exposure scorches the leaves while too much shade results in fewer blooms.

The ideal situation involves sowing the seeds of St. John’s Wort indoors, probably 6 to 8 weeks prior to last spring frost. The plant can then be moved to the outdoor garden bed to seek the best growth.

One thing that St. John’s Wort needs properly is water supply. However, they can grow with little water supply but they flourish healthily with water during dry spells.

The seeds of St. John’s Wort require sunlight and moist soil to germinate in a proper fashion. It takes around 10 to 20 days for the seeds to germinate and grow into a mature 24 inches adult plant.

The flowering process of the St. John’s Wort is prompted by the summer solstice and it continues till August. Its flowers serve as a hotspot for the bees and other pollinating insects. The pollination is then followed by fertilization. Subsequently, small, dry fruits are formed which turn brown at maturation and comprises of seeds that serve as a medium for the extension of St. John’s Wort lifecycle.

St. John’s Wort, a plant with heavy name and reputation, is planted for its vibrant flowers, leaves, and stems.

The best time to grab those bright flowers is obviously when the plant is blooming. What matters is the time of the day…
The St. John’s Wort flowers must be harvested mid-morning because all the oils that confer a plethora of benefits are at their peak. Other than that, flower buds also work wonders.

The leaves and stems of St. John’s Wort should be harvested in morning or evening, a time when there are all the remnants of dew have evaporated.

St. John’s Wort plant’s stem, leaves, and flowers are quite easy to harvest.

The flowers can be simply picked while the leaves can be clipped off of the stem.

St. John’s Wort plant does not have much to do with the cooking as its uses are mostly incline towards medicinal discipline.

Its organs are either used rapidly employed in making infused oil, tincture, and whatnot, or the plant is dried in a well-ventilated, dry area that is out of the sun. The plant is then stored in an airtight container in a dark and dry place to preserve its medicinal properties.

St. John’s Wort is available in topical and systemic preparations to help with the termination of different diseases.

• Tincture- Infuse freshly chopped St. John's Wort flowers/leaves in grain alcohol for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain the liquid and place it in a dark and dry place.
• Tea- Add dried and crushed St. John’s Wort to the boiling water and steep for about 10 minutes. Incorporate some honey to sweeten it.
• Decoction- Dried St. John’s Wort plant is used to make a decoction.
• Syrup- St. John’s Wort extract is employed in making its syrup.
• Infused oil- Chopped fresh St. John’s Wort plant (including leaves, stem, and flowers) is infused with any carrier oil.

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