St. John's Wort

Common names	St. John's Wort
Latin name	Hypericum calycinum
Life cycle	Perennial
Height	18"
Space	12" apart
Bloom	July and August
Light	Full sun to shade
Soil	Average to poor
Zone	--
Feature	Undemanding & drought tolerant

Use:
Taken internally, St. John's wort calms nerves and treats depression & insomnia. Taken externally, the herb reduces inflammation and soothes and heals strains, bruises, wounds, and burns. Use the top 8-10" of stem as the flower buds are beginning to open.

For tea:
Steep 1-2 tsp. dried herb in 1 cup boiling water for 10 min. Drink 1-2 cups for at least 4 weeks. It may take several weeks to notice a response from the tea.

For tincture:
Grind flowering stem tops and pack into a dark glass jar and fill with 100-proof vodka. Store in dark away from heat and shake jar once a day for 2 weeks. Press through a cheesecloth and store liquid away from heat and light. Take about 2-4 dropperfuls, 2-3 times daily. Usually the tinctures are more effective than teas.

For oil:
Dry flowering stem tops in a single layer in the shade for 1 day. Grind flowers and put in a glass jar and fill with olive oil. Store in dark for 2 weeks and shake once daily. Set the jar in a sunny place to bring out the red pigment on the 14th day. Press through cheesecloth and store liquid away from heat and light. Apply oil liberally at least 2x daily.

Warning:
Avoid extensive sun exposure when taking the herb. St. John's wort dulls the effectiveness of the HIV medicine indinavir and the transplant drug cyclosporin.

Culture:
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