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Hypericum hypericoides

Common name:	St. Andrews Cross	Family:	Hypericaceae
Author:	(L.)Crantz.	Botanical references:	11, 43, 200
Synonyms:	Ascyrum hypericoides (L.)
Known Hazards:	Contact with the sap can cause photosensitivity in sensitive people[222].
Range:	Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Florida, west to Texas and Illinois.
Habitat:	Dry sandy soils[43].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Asarum hypericoides var. multicaule[P] Ascyrum hypericoides var. multicaule[B,P] Ascyrum hypericoides var. oblongifolium[B,P] Ascyrum hyppericoides[E] Ascyrum linifolium[B,P] H. hypericoides ssp. hypericoides[B,P] H. hypericoides ssp. multicaule[B,P] H. hypericoides var. multicaule[B,P] H. stragulum[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Peter'Swort [E], St Andrew's Cross [L,P], St Andrew's-cross [B], St Andrews Cross [P],
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Mexico; Us(Sc)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 1.2m. It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidote; Kidney; Lithontripic.

Lithontripic[61].
The root was chewed as an antidote to rattlesnake bites[207, 222].
A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of colic, fevers, pain, diarrhoea etc[222]. It is applied externally to ulcerated breasts[222].
A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of kidney and bladder ailments, skin problems and children's diarrhoea[61, 222].
A milky substance obtained from the plant has been rubbed on sores[257].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Easily grown in any reasonably good well-drained but moisture retentive soil[1]. Succeeds in sun or semi-shade but flowers better in a sunny position[1]. Prefers a light loamy soil[11].
One report says that the plant requires frame protection in the winter[1] whilst another says that plants are hardy but short-lived at Kew[11]. 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[200].

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, July/August in a frame. Plant out in the following spring[200].
Cuttings of mature wood, 12 - 17cm with a heel, October/November in a sheltered position outdoors. Plants root by the spring. Good percentage[78].
Division in spring as new growth commences[78]. 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.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[V] Images from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Ascyrum hypericoides (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for Ascyrum hyppericoides (a possible synonym).

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.

References for Hypericum hypericoides ssp. hypericoides (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Hypericum hypericoides ssp. multicaule (a possible synonym).

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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