St. John’s Wort
Appearance and Location
St Johns Wort, also known as “Klamath weed” or “goatweed“, is a sprawling, leafy herb with over 500 species in the Hypericum genus. This flowering shrub is considered a perennial, producing five-petalled, yellow flowers (with many stamens) in June through September. It also produces fruit or berries come fall into the winter season which are nearly always dry capsules (dry fruit that opens when ripe). St Johns Wort is typically native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, but is now widely distributed across the temperate regions of the world. You can commonly find it invading rangelands, fields, roadsides, and forest clearings. The most common type of St John’s Wort used medicinally is known as Hypericum perforatum.
The word “wort” derives from an Old English word for herb or plant. The common name, St. John’s Wort, stems from the fact that it flowers at the time of the summer solstice on or around the feast day of St. John the Baptist – June 24th. However, before the plant became known as St. John’s wort, it was commonly known as Hypericum. This word was made up of two Greek words, hyper, meaning “over” and icon, or “image.” This name was chosen because it was hung over the statues of the gods to ward off any evil spirit that might possess the image. Much like our previous herb Thyme, Hypericum was also used during the Dark Ages to purify spaces. However, it was mainly used to drive out the devil from those who were thought to be “possessed” and guard against the menacing powers of evil. An interesting thing to note is what might once have been called “possession” and treated with a tea made of hypericum leaves, might today be called clinical depression, and treated with St. John’s Wort.
Functions and Properties Throughout History
The earliest recorded use of St John’s Wort dates back more than 2,000 years to the time of ancient Greece. They typically used Hypericum to treat sciatica, poisonous reptile bites, anxiety, and often was used as a sleep aid. The Greeks also believed that the smell of this plant alone would also drive evil spirits away.
St John’s Wort has been used for a variety of conditions throughout history. The flowers were typically used to make teas, and now also used to make liquid extracts and pills. Hypericum was found to have antibacterial properties as well as the potential to act as an antiviral agent. Much of this powerful herbs efficacy has been shown to stem from the chemical hypericin. However, other natural compounds such as hyperforin and flavonoids may also play special roles.
Within Europe, St John’s Wort was traditionally used to treat burns and wounds. It was also an established folk remedy of lung and kidney ailments. In addition, once introduced across the Atlantic to the Americas, Native Americans have used Hypericum as an abortifacient, antiseptic, astringent, and as an anti-inflammatory.
St. John’s Wort soon became popularized in Britain and America as an antidepressant- “nature’s antidepressant” – by the 1990s. One reason many people wish to use St. John’s Wort today is due to its tendency to have fewer side effects than prescription medicines. However, it may take weeks or months before you notice any effect because it’s not a fast-acting cure. It’s also good to note that while it can be effective for treating mild to moderate depression, it is not effective at treating severe (or major) depression.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Resources:
Britannica | National Park Service | MayoClinic | Susan Albert | NCCIH | Healthline | Medical News Today
Appearance and Location
Appearance and Location
St Johns Wort, also known as “Klamath weed” or “goatweed“, is a sprawling, leafy herb with over 500 species in the Hypericum genus. This flowering shrub is considered a perennial, producing five-petalled, yellow flowers (with many stamens) in June through September. It also produces fruit or berries come fall into the winter season which are nearly always dry capsules (dry fruit that opens when ripe). St Johns Wort is typically native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, but is now widely distributed across the temperate regions of the world. You can commonly find it invading rangelands, fields, roadsides, and forest clearings. The most common type of St John’s Wort used medicinally is known as Hypericum perforatum.
The word “wort” derives from an Old English word for herb or plant. The common name, St. John’s Wort, stems from the fact that it flowers at the time of the summer solstice on or around the feast day of St. John the Baptist – June 24th. However, before the plant became known as St. John’s wort, it was commonly known as Hypericum. This word was made up of two Greek words, hyper, meaning “over” and icon, or “image.” This name was chosen because it was hung over the statues of the gods to ward off any evil spirit that might possess the image. Much like our previous herb Thyme, Hypericum was also used during the Dark Ages to purify spaces. However, it was mainly used to drive out the devil from those who were thought to be “possessed” and guard against the menacing powers of evil. An interesting thing to note is what might once have been called “possession” and treated with a tea made of hypericum leaves, might today be called clinical depression, and treated with St. John’s Wort.
Functions and Properties
Throughout History
Functions and Properties Throughout History
The earliest recorded use of St John’s Wort dates back more than 2,000 years to the time of ancient Greece. They typically used Hypericum to treat sciatica, poisonous reptile bites, anxiety, and often was used as a sleep aid. The Greeks also believed that the smell of this plant alone would also drive evil spirits away.
St John’s Wort has been used for a variety of conditions throughout history. The flowers were typically used to make teas, and now also used to make liquid extracts and pills. Hypericum was found to have antibacterial properties as well as the potential to act as an antiviral agent. Much of this powerful herb’s efficacy has been shown to stem from the chemical hypericin. However, other natural compounds such as hyperforin and flavonoids may also play special roles.
Within Europe, St John’s Wort was traditionally used to treat burns and wounds. It was also an established folk remedy of lung and kidney ailments. In addition, once introduced across the Atlantic to the Americas, Native Americans have used Hypericum as an abortifacient, antiseptic, astringent, and as an anti-inflammatory.
St. John’s Wort soon became popularized in Britain and America as an antidepressant- “nature’s antidepressant” – by the 1990s. One reason many people wish to use St. John’s Wort today is due to its tendency to have fewer side effects than prescription medicines. However, it may take weeks or months before you notice any effect because it’s not a fast-acting cure. It’s also good to note that while it can be effective for treating mild to moderate depression, it is not effective at treating severe (or major) depression.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Resources:
Britannica | National Park Service | MayoClinic | Susan Albert | NCCIH | Healthline | Medical News Today