St. John's wort and its beneficial properties

St. John's wort: photo of a plant

Probably everyone has seen this plant, such a tall, herbaceous shrub that blooms throughout the summer. Its inflorescences are yellowish and look very bright. Animals avoid this plant, because in large quantities it can cause poisoning. But for humans, it can be medicinal.

St. John's wort: description and useful properties

Herb St. John's wort: plant photo

St. John's wort is a perennial herb that grows in the form of an openwork bush with a large number of stems and foliage. In its growth it can reach one hundred centimeters, and the color can change from green to reddish. The foliage is not large, oval in shape, about three centimeters long, and only fifteen millimeters wide. The plant's root system is well developed, so that even its smallest roots make their way deep enough.

It blooms in late spring, its flowers are collected in small inflorescences, bright yellow. Blooms all summer, after flowering, seed pods are formed.

An interesting fact is that if you rub its yellow inflorescences on the palm of your hand, they leave lilac-purple traces.

With the arrival of the autumn season, the ground part of the plant will wither, and with the arrival of winter, it will grow again.

Where does it grow?

This herb grows throughout Russia. It can grow in the garden, steppe, meadow, forest edge, meadow. You can also meet this culture along the road, river bank and even in the thickets of bushes.

This is a rather unpretentious plant, so it is easy to grow it on your site. It's very convenient. A self-grown culture will be much cleaner than the one collected by the road. To do this, simply purchase seeds and sow them. You don't have to do anything else. After all, it is a perennial plant that multiplies well by self-sowing.

The right time to collect St. John's wort

It is better to collect the stems right away together with the flowers.

After all, it is they that contain:

• macronutrients;
• trace elements;
• vitamins;
• phytoncides;
• tanning elements;
• flavonoids.

The best time to collect St. John's wort is during the summer, when it is in color. The stalks must be carefully cut off. But it is important to leave a couple of peduncles on the bush so that the plant can continue to multiply. The collected branches must be collected in the form of a broom and hung to dry. You can store St. John's wort dry for up to three years, during which time it will not lose its properties.

St. John's wort: photo

Herb St. John's wort: plant photo