Saint John's Wort

Saint John’s Wort

(Hypericum perforatum)

Here is all you need to know about St. John’s Wort. This beautiful plant is known as a noxious weed and grows everywhere. This is good for me and you! It Can be harvested and utilized in herbal medicine.

Identity

Saint John’s Wort is a yellow flower plant. It is a perennial that typically is harvested wild. Although, you can grow it in your garden to have some fresh when you need it. Typically harvested on the summer solstice. Harvesting the top 6-8 inches of the flowers. The leaves are perforated, has seemingly tiny holes that you can only see on close inspection. The tiny holes are actually red spots that, when you hold it up to the sun, you can see light coming through. The flower is very bright yellow and has five petals. If you take a petal and crush it in your fingers it will stain a red color.

History

Nicholas Culpepper (1616-1654) was an English Herbalist and he believed that plants give some kind of sign for what way they will benefit the body. Such things as how walnuts may be good for the brain, since they look like a brain, etc. Saint John’s Wort was noted as a remedy for melancholy and madness by Culpepper.

St. John’s Wort is still used today in some churches in an anointing oil. It has been historically used as a dream pillow, to promote good dreaming. The evening before harvesting people were known to go pick Saint John’s Wort and hang it in their homes.

Energetics and Taste

St. John’s Wort is warming, drying, sweet and slightly bitter. 

Actions

It is mood uplifting and nerve calming, but should not be taken with pharmaceutical antidepressants or antianxiety medications. Through its bitterness, it aids the digestion and supports liver health, especially when the problems are emotionally based. It provides some pain relief, used either topically or internally. If, applied topically, avoid sun exposure to the area, because it can cause skin irritation (photosensitivity). St. John’s Wort can relax muscle tension and soothe nerve irritation.

Contradictions

Use caution in pregnancy. Do not use on the skin if you are going out into the sun because it photosynthesizes. Use caution when taking internally due to the fact that it photosynthesizes, topical application  may cause photosynthesis if you are out in the sun after applying to your skin (may cause photosensitivity). Do no take simultaneously with antidepressant medications. Caution is recommended with many medications as this herb helps to improve liver function; the liver's function is to cleanse impurities/toxins from the body and by improving its function the body may process medications differently. In the past, we have heard stories of St. John's Wort affecting many types of medications including birth control.

Saint John’s wort is a very useful plant as you can see. I hope you can find some in the wild and test to make sure that is what you have by crushing the flower between your fingers. It is very important to make sure you have positively identified Saint John’s Wort before you attempt to make a tincture of any kind. This is good guidance for any herb.

Resources:

Medical Herbalism; The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine by David Hoffman

300 Herbs Their indications and contradictions by Matthew Alfs.