Hypericum calycinum: characteristics, care and uses

Today we are going to talk about a type of plant that is frequently used as a covering plant in both private and public gardens. Its about Hypericum chalice. It is also known by the common names of creeping Hypericum, Hypericón, St. John’s wort and St. John’s rose. It is a plant native to Greece and Asia Minor and belongs to the Gutiferaceae family. Its flowers make it possible to serve as a decoration in gardens apart from its function as a carpet plant.

Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you everything you need to know about the Hypericum chalice.

Key features

St. John's wort flower

Flor del Hypericum calycinum

It is a dwarf shrub type plant that has evergreen leaves and is frequently used in gardens. It has dark green leaves and are of the opposite type. The leaves are whole and have dangling branches. The flowers of this shrub are quite attractive from an ornamental point of view. Thus, this shrub is frequently used to serve as filler in gardens and as an ornamental plant.

The flowers of this shrub are yellow with five petals and stamens that stick out in the form of bouquets. There are people who resemble these flowers as if they were brushes. Flowering takes place in summer. It usually starts during the months of June and lasts until October.

Although at first it is considered a rather difficult plant to establish, it does not require much maintenance once it has adapted to the environment. And it is that their ability to adapt to the new environment is somewhat lower and, therefore, at the beginning we must give them more care and attention. Nevertheless, once the plant has adapted, it escapes from developing in good condition and with little maintenance.

Its life expectancy is usually 25 years, so it serves to decorate the garden for a long time. It is not a toxic plant for people and its flowers are lethal to insects. With these bushes we can free ourselves from excess insects that are attracted by the ultraviolet tones of their inflorescences. In this way, it helps against the amount of insects in our garden.

The Hypericum chalice es quite robust and showy when it has its flowers. It is then that a mass of large flowers with a bright yellow color and prominent stamens is formed. If the development is adequate and the conditions are good, it is capable of reaching 30 centimeters in height and can be extended indefinitely. This makes it a highly recommended shrub for mixed beds.

Uses of Hypericum chalice

Decoration with St. John's wort

Decoration with St. John's wort

This plant is mainly used in Rockeries, facing slopes and slopes. It also serves as an understory in gardens with taller trees. For those areas where the grass does not cover the entire territory, for any condition, this plant is used as a floor covering.

It is highly recommended to plant under trees where it does not represent any type of competition for its roots. That is why it is used as an understory plant since it will not interfere with the development of the trees and will help eliminate excess insects that can attack the trees.

St. John’s wort has been widely used in rockery background for wedding photo shoots. This is because it has a bright yellow color and quite vivid. These colors play a fundamental role in giving good vibes to photos.

Necessary care of Hypericum chalice

Hypericum chalice

Hypericum chalice

As we have mentioned before, it is necessary for this plant to have a somewhat slower adaptation process to the soil. For this reason, it is possible that at the beginning we should give more attention and care to the plant. Once it has adapted well to the environment, it can thrive in good conditions with low maintenance. We will analyze step by step what are the main care that this plant needs.

First of all is exposure to the sun. This shrub needs a fairly abundant sun exposure on a daily basis and with temperatures that are around between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius on average. This means that it is a plant that does not tolerate frost at all. We must plant this shrub in areas where there are usually no or very little frosts.

It prefers soils with a light texture and that are well drained. This means that irrigation water cannot be stored. If we water and the soil does not have enough drainage so that the water does not accumulate, the roots of this plant could die. The most recommended transplant season is in autumn or winter. This is due to the fact that it can be given better care and it does not have as many energy requirements as when it is in the flowering season.

As expected, the Hypericum chalice it does not need much watering. Watering it once every 4-5 days is more than enough in the summer time. In winter it will be necessary to water it even less. If the rainfall in our area is abundant, during the winter irrigation will not be necessary.

To enhance the development of the flowers that will give it a lively yellow color, it is advisable to add a little mineral fertilizer. This mineral fertilizer will be added during the flowering season to help you with higher amounts of nutrients.

Maintenance and pests

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, it is a plant that does not require much maintenance. Once the plant is adapted to the territory, it hardly needs watering, continuous sun exposure and well-drained soil.

If we want to make the bush have a better appearance to use it as an ornamental plant, it is interesting to do a pruning. Pruning should be small and should be done in autumn. There is no need to worry about the usual pests or diseases as this plant has protection against insects. We remember that its flowers are toxic to those insects that are attracted by the ultraviolet light that its flowers give off. The fastest way to multiply this plant is through cuttings. It can also be done by division of the bush when we plant it but we run the risk of having to increase care and maintenance. The best time of year to cuttings is early fall. In this way, the bush will have the rest of the winter to be able to adapt to the new conditions and gather enough energy to be able to have a good flowering in the summer time.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Hypericum chalice.

Hypericum calycinum: characteristics, care and uses

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