St John's Wort - introduced (*Hypericum perforatum)
Family: Hypericaceae (St John's Wort Family).
Native of Europe.
Occurrence: St John’s Wort is a widespread weed, particularly in granite areas. It is common along roadsides and paddocks and is a major weed on Mt Alexander.
Identification:
- St John’s Wort is up to a metre in height
- it usually has several erect branches from near the base
- the flowers are a golden yellow and have numerous conspicuous yellow stamens
- the paired leaves have numerous oil-dots, which are visible when the leaf is held up to the light.
St John’s Wort is poisonous to stock and is a proclaimed noxious weed (listed as Regionally Controlled in central Victoria).
It is usually lives for two years. Take care if pulling by hand, as contact with the plant may cause a rash. The main dispersal method is by seed. A well-established plant can produce 30,000 seeds per year, which can remain dormant for several years. The plant may also spread by cultivation, when the underground stems are chopped up by machinery.
St John’s Wort is associated with St John the Baptist and is reputed to have magical powers e.g. plants hung in a house deter witches and death from entering. Despite being a poisonous plant, it is sometimes used medicinally.
Similar native species: Small St John’s Wort and Matted St John’s Wort both grow in Central Victoria. They are much smaller plants and the leaves are without oil-dots.
