Hypericum Hidcote St Johns Wort

Hypericum Hidcote is more commonly known as St John’s Wort. It’s a semi-evergreen woody shrub with bright yellow silky flowers in summer.

Hypericums are found across Europe and America but the cultivar Hidcote most likely originated at Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire. This cultivar holds the RHS AGM and is a very popular choice.

Foliage is lance-shaped dark and greeny-purple growing at regular intervals along arching woody stems, but it’s during summer that St Johns Wort looks its best. From July to September the shrub is covered in shiny butter-yellow saucer-shaped blooms with five petals and open faces. The Hidcote cultivar has the largest flowers of the Hypericum range at up to 6 cms across and is loved by bees.

This is a superb hardy shrub with plenty of summer to autumn colour. St John’s Wort Hicote is an all-round favourite.

Height And Spread of Hypericum Hidcote
St John’s Wort is bushy and grows to a height of 1.5 metres by 1.5 metres but you can prune to keep it smaller.

How Hardy Is Hypericum Hidcote
St John’s Wort Hidcote is known as a semi-evergreen as it will hold on to its foliage in warmer areas of the UK.

Hidcote is fully hardy if the roots are well-drained. It prefers a sheltered aspect which helps protect its large bloom against wind damage. It enjoys full sun and is rarely bothered by pests.

How To Use Hypericum Hidcote
This a cheerful border filler and a good choice for gardens that lack low maintenance colour. Best situated at the back to the middle of a border against a fence or wall for shelter. The open flowers are a magnet for bees so it suits a wildlife-friendly space.

You can grow St John’s Wort Hidcote in a large well-watered container or pot on the deck if the soil is kept damp and it is fed regularly.

How To Care For Hypericum Hidcote
St John’s Wort will grow in most fertile soils of any type or pH including chalk. It enjoys full sun and will tolerate partial shade.

Water well until established and apply a thick layer of mulch to the base each year to encourage flowering and good health.

There’s no need to prune, but you can remove crossed or damaged branches in winter or trim to reduce its overall size.