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Common Name: St. Andrews Cross

General Information

Hypericum hypericoides is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 1.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

Contact with the sap can cause photosensitivity in sensitive people[].

Botanical References

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Range

Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Florida, west to Texas and Illinois.

Habitat

Dry sandy soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in any reasonably good well-drained but moisture retentive soil[]. Succeeds in sun or semi-shade but flowers better in a sunny position[]. Prefers a light loamy soil[].
One report says that the plant requires frame protection in the winter[] whilst another says that plants are hardy but short-lived at Kew[]. It possibly suffers more from wet soils than from the cold, see the plant's native habitat above.
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Lithontripic[].
The root was chewed as an antidote to rattlesnake bites[, ].
A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of colic, fevers, pain, diarrhoea etc[]. It is applied externally to ulcerated breasts[].
A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of kidney and bladder ailments, skin problems and children's diarrhoea[, ].
A milky substance obtained from the plant has been rubbed on sores[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 months at 10°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood 10 - 12 cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Plant out in the following spring[].
Cuttings of mature wood, 12 - 17cm with a heel, autumn in a sheltered position outdoors. Plants root by the spring. Good percentage[].
Division in spring as new growth commences[]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.