Plant Study 
St. John's Wort
Family Name: Hypericum, St. John's Wort
Family Name: Hypericaceae/Gutteriferae/Clusiaceae
Latin Name: Hypericum perforatum
Common Names: St. John's Wort
Native American Names: Klamath Weed
Related Species: Hypericum formosum, (aka H. scouleri), Hypericum anagalloides
Body System Affiliations:
1. Nervous System
2. First Aid
3. Urinary Systen
4. Cardio-vascular System
5. Digestive System
Botanical Description:
Habit: Herbaceous perennial
Size:
Arrangement: Opposite
Leaves: Small, oblong, with each pair crossing those above and below. Light green; transparent oil glands, near margins, look like little holes. (Rodale, p.153)
Flowers: Bright yellow, born in terminal, flat, leafy panicles on branches with opposite bracts at base of each pedicel; calyx and corolla marked with black dots and lines, five petals and sepals, three stamen bundles. (Rodale, p.153)
Fruit: Three celled capsule, numerous, small black round or oblong seeds
Underground Parts: Rhizomatous
Ecology:
Habitat: No clear habitat, it grows in moist or dry soil, sun or shade
disturbed sites; wetlands, etc. Prefers sun though.
Range: It grows from Monterey and Fresno counties in CA, all the way north to British Columbia, and east through Idaho and Western Montana, and west-central Nevada. (Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West,)
Ecological Relationships: It is a spreading weed in most cases, it is also planted ornamentally in garden beds
Places/Dates
Observed/Description:
Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Medicine:
Part Used: Flowering tips, including a few leaves
Medicinal Actions: Aromatic, astringent, resolvent, expecorant and nervine (Botanical .com). Sedative, anti-inflammatory
Indications: Pulminary complaints, bladder troubles, in suppression of urine, dysentery, worms, diarrhea, hysteria and nervous depression (not clinical depression). (Botanical .com). Apply to broken or unbroken skin to treat damaged nerve tissue, sore muscles, or other traumatic injuries (Cech, p. 99).
Body System Associations:
1. Nervous System
2. First Aid
3. Urinary Systen
4. Cardio-vascular System
5. Digestive System
Constituents: Red pigment Hypericin, bio-active oils, resins, anti-microbial rottlerin-type compounds, hypericum zanthones, and procyanidins (Moore, p. 154). Hypericin and pseudohypericin are two anti-viral agents (Kershaw, p.141).
Applications: Flowers steeped in water, alcohol or oil to make washes and lotions.
Preparation: For tea, make a standard infusion. For tincture, cram a jar full of flowers and cover with grain alcohol, let it set for a day, cram more in till it is full. This is a perfect 1:2 fresh flower tincture. For an oil, fill a bag with ground wilted flower tips - let them set for a day to get rid of bugs, then pack with olive oil.
Pharmacy: As a tea, drink 2 - 3 times per day. As a tincture (at 1:2), use 20 -30 drops up three times a day. Hypericum Oil can be applied as a comress, or taken internally - 1 tsp.3xdaily. (Moore, p. 154).
Other: I think it is of interest to point out that while St. John's Wort has typically been thought of as an antidepressant, it has limited uses for any clinical version of depression, depression with panic/anxiety attacks, and bi-polar disease. It is useful for situational depression with nervousness or mild anxiety. What I found of great interest is its properties to alleviate muscle pain, temporalmandibular, head and neck stress related pain - all of which I have experienced.
Cautions: Can be a photo-toxin to some, so care must be taken when exposed to sun.( Moore, p.156;Pojar & Mackinnon, p.318; Kershaw, p.141; Rodales Encyclopedia, p. 448). Can cause light-sensitive rashes and occasionally hives.
Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships:
Food: An old custom of native peoples - dry the leaves of Hypericum and use it as a meal, as they did Acorn."Also known to have eaten fresh leaves for their soothing effect." (8:258).
Materials/Technology: None found
Cherokee Drug (Abortifacient)
Compound decoction taken "to promote menstruation"
Cherokee Drug (Antidiarrheal)
Infusion taken for bloody flux and bowel complaint
Cherokee Drug (Drematological Aid)
Milky substance rubbed on sores, also used for venereal disease
Cherokee Drug (Hemostat)
Root chewed, a portion swallowed, and rest used as poultice for snakebite
Cherokee Drug ((Strengthener) Infusion of root used as wash to give infants strength
Other: All of the above references are from 2nd online site. There are many many uses for H. perforatum. Not all references were to the species perforatum, or to the Cherokee alone.
Propagation:
Technique:
Harvest:
Plant Part:
Season of Harvest:
Method of Harvest:
Cautions:
Personal Experience:
In the summer I would like to experiments with the actual plant, harvesting etc.
What I have done with St. John's Wort:
First being a bit of a purist I wish it were summer so that I could harvest and make an oil from the flowers myself.
Secondly, time and money constraints have put me in a place where I will be able to better play with the ingredients I want to make a salve later. As I mentioned above I want to purchase (from Radiance) the oils of St. John's, Arnica and Poplar Buds (unavailable at this time, but Ben has harvested some and is willing to share some with me when the oil is ready). Also I need to have olive oil, easy enough, and beeswax - also sold at Radiance. I was directed to the rather large library of medicinal recipes that are available at Radiance.
I would love to take the hours needed to do just that. In the meantime, I have purchased two of their products. The first, which I am quite pleased with and will also serve as an example of what I will make when I can. That is Sore Muscle Salvation.
The main ingredients listed on the front of the small jar (which cost $3.50 or 15 ml) are Arnica, Birch & eucalyptus. BUT, on the back the listed ingredients are: castor oil, olive oil infused with St. John's Wort, calendula, arnica, Montana and & Cottonwood oil, raw shea butter, beeswax, essential oils of Eucalyptus globulus, organic Rosemary, Birch and Lavender.
I rub it into my jaw area, on the skin of course, and massage for a few seconds. This is quite soothing for my TMJ, especially after so much dental work lately and constant grinding of my teeth at night. I try to do this one to two times a day.It is also nice for a self massage on the knottier parts of my neck due to stress.
The second product I purchased was Kava Kava Plus. This piqued my interest because of the qualities Kava Kava is supposed to have. It is a tincture promoting mental well-being and stress reduction. ($9.65 for 1 fluid ounce). It is recommended to use 20-30 drops alone or in something 4-7 times a day. I find it difficult to comprehend using that often, given our busy lifestyles. But as I have been sitting here typing I have taken a break for the massage - mmm, wonderful and the tincture straight - yukkkk!!!.
The ingredients on the tincture are: Kava Kava, Ginseng, St. John's Wort, Oats, and Skullcap.
I take other medications for stress/depression so I wonder about the use of herbals with pharmaceuticals. But, hey I'm willing to give it a shot - my thinking is that it will enhance not cancel out each other.
When I have the time I want to do all sorts of research and snooping and cross referencing at Radiance. I think that there is much to be learned there.
I would also like to play with the dye that comes from Hypericum. The bottle of tincure has a purple label and the tincure itself has a purple haze about it and on the label it states that purple is the healing color of the brain and the nervous system.
Johns Illust
References Cited:
1. Botanical.com
2. Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany
Database. Aug 1999. Online at http://www.umd.umich.edu/cgi-bin/herb/. Visited
Vancouver, British Columbia: Ministry of Forest and Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.
4. Kershaw, Linda J. Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Lone Pine Publishing, 2000.
5. Moore, Michael. Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Santa Fe, NM: Red Crane Books, 1993.
6. Rodale's Ilustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rodale Press Inc., 1987.
7. Hartung, Tammi Ruth. Growing 101 herbs That Heal. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2000.
8. Hutchens, Alma R. Indian Herbalogy of North America. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boston, MA, 1973.
9. Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine. A Horizon Herbs Publication. William, Oregon. 2000.
10. Scott, Julian, PhD. Natural Medecine for Children. Gaia Books Unlimited., London, 1990.
KID FRIENDLY VERSION
This is St. John’s Wort.
Hypericum perforatum
1. What is St. John’s Wort.
2. Why the Funny name?
3. What does it do?
St. Johns Wort is an herb that grows wild all around us. We see it in people’s gardens, but that is not exactly the same as the wild stuff. You are more likely to see in meadows, alongside the road, or the woods. It flowers in July and August. It has been hooked up with both religion and witchcraft
For hundreds of years it was thought to ward off evil spirits. You were supposed to burn the stems with the leaves on them and waft those around. Or you could hang them over your doorway.
Then somehow, the plant got associated with the spread of Christianity and St. John the Baptist. Supposedly it first bloomed on his birthday – June 24th and to “bleed red oil from its leaf glands on the day he was beheaded in August.” It was also believed that the harvest of this flower for medicine was the strongest on St. John’s Day.
What we know today is that it relaxes and strengthens the nerves, reduces pain from injury, heals deep wounds and many other things for nervous & digestive problems.
For kids it is best to use St. John’s Wort externally as an oil or an ointment on an injury (with unbroken skin). No matter how you use it, make sure a trusted grown up is with you to be sure it is safe.
The petals of the yellow flowers have a great way of turning red when you rub them or scrunch them up.
Experiment: Try taking the red juice and rub it on paper and see if it makes a paint or a dye. “Depending on the strength, from different parts of the plant, colors of yellow, green, red and pink are made and used for fabric dyes."
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