La Grass of San Juan It is one of the main plants of the season that is most popular: summer. Its beautiful yellow flowers are as happy as the days when the king star not only peeks over the horizon but also its rays arrive with enough force to provide warmth.
It has been used for years as a medicinal, and it has very interesting properties. If you want to know more about this curious plant, Then I will explain its characteristics, care, uses and much more.
Characteristics of St. John's Wort
St. John's Wort, also known by the names Rosa de San Juan, Hipérico, Hipericón or Corazoncillo, and whose scientific name is Hypericum perforatum, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to Europe and naturalized in America and Australia that reaches a height of 40-50cm.
The leaves are opposite, whole, and dark green. The flowers are composed of five yellow petals that sprout in a bouquet. Are appear during the summer, when the temperatures start to get very high.
Although it is a plant that is not toxic to humans, flowers can be deadly to insects.
How do you take care of yourself?
Here is your care guide:
Location
This plant can grow well in both full sun and semi-shade (provided it has a lot of light). It can also be inside the home if it is placed in a room where there is a lot of light coming from outside.
Soil or substrate
Not demanding. It can grow in all types of soils, and if it is potted, it can be used as a universal growing medium without problems. However, for it to develop better it is recommended that you have good sewer system.
Irrigation
St. John's Wort It needs frequent waterings during the summer, and somewhat less the rest of the year. To know when to water, just stick a thin wooden stick into the ground; If it comes out more or less clean when you take it out, it will be because the soil is very dry, so it will be time to water.
In general, it will be watered 3-4 times a week in summer and every 3-4 days the rest of the year.
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With the aim of producing a greater amount of flowers and, incidentally, making it look more beautiful and healthy, must be paid with natural products from spring to late summer. We can use banana and / or egg peels, compost, guano I manure herbivorous animals.
Pruning
While it is not necessary, to avoid problems it is important that weak, diseased and also dry stems are removed. Withered flowers must also be removed. Thus, our plant will look more beautiful.
In the event that it has grown too large, it can be pruned in the fall or spring.
Planting or transplanting time
Whether you want to spend the garden or if you choose to change the pot, you have to wait for spring to come. When temperatures begin to rise above 15ºC and there is no longer any risk of frost, we can transplant or plant it without having to take risks.
Multiplication
We can obtain new specimens if we sow their seeds in spring. For it, do the following:
- The first thing to do is choose a seedbed: seedling tray, flowerpots, milk containers, glasses of yogurt ... Regardless of what we choose, we have to make sure that they have (or that they can be made) holes for drainage of the water.
- Now, it is filled with universal growing substrate and given a watering.
- Then, we place the seeds leaving a distance of 2-3cm between them.
- Then we cover them with a very thin layer of substrate.
- Finally, we water and put them in the sun.
They will germinate in about 2 weeks.
Management
It is a very resistant plant, but if it is watered in excess it can have problems of fungi, treatable with systemic fungicides.
Rusticity
Withstands cold well but not frost. If these meteorological phenomena occur in winter, we have to protect it either with transparent plastic in the greenhouse or indoors.
For what do you use it?
Ornamental use
It is an herb that is used above all as an ornamental. It is very decorative, looking great in any corner where there is enough light. In addition, due to its size it can be in a pot for its 25 years of life, so it is, without a doubt, very interesting.
Medicinal use
All parts are used except the root. In the leaves are the minerals cadmium and lead; in flavonoid flowers and tannins; and in the plant various acids such as ascorbic, stearic and palmitic.
Thus, can be used as an antidepressant and as an anxiolytic, since it acts in a similar way to the drugs that we can find in pharmacies but without its side effects. Too It is used for loss of appetite, as a wound healing and in cases of difficulty falling asleep.
It can be taken as an infusion, capsules or essential oil.
Contraindications
St. John's Wort should not be taken if:
- Other medications are being taken.
- You are pregnant or think you may be.
- He's going to have surgery in two weeks.
What is its price?
It is a very economical plant: about 20 seeds can cost about 1 euro, and an adult plant about 3 euros.
Did you find it interesting?