St. John’s wort is native to Europe and Asia and was naturalized as a weed in Australia, South Africa, and North America. Today, the drug used for medicinal purposes comes mainly from cultivation areas in Germany, Eastern Europe and Chile.
St. John’s wort as a medicine
For medicinal purposes, the dried, flowering aerial parts of the plant (hyperici herba) are used.
Special characteristics of St. John’s wort
St. John’s wort is a perennial herbaceous plant about 60 cm high with opposite leaves. The Latin name of the plant, Hypericum perforatum, is based on the translucent dotted appearance of the leaves (Latin “perforatum”). The name Hypericum derives from the fact that St. John’s wort was once placed above images of gods for protection against spirits (from the Greek hyper = above, eikon = image).
The dots on the leaves are oil glands, with which the 5-petaled, golden-yellow flowers are also equipped. If you rub the flowers or buds between your fingers, a red coloration occurs.
Flower on the day of St. John
The German name Johanniskraut is meant to remind us of St. John’s Day, the birthday of John the Baptist. On this day, June 24, the herb is in its most beautiful bloom.
The golden-yellow to yellow-brown flowers, some of which have numerous dark dots or dashes, are particularly striking. The sepals are pointed and about twice as long as the ovary at flowering time.
Other components of the drug
Other components of the drug are the light green, ovate, entire-edged leaves, which can be up to 3.5 cm long. You can clearly see the translucent dotted pattern. Yellow-green, hollow stem pieces also occur in the drug.
St. John’s wort gives off a slightly aromatic odor. The taste of the herb is bitter and slightly astringent.
