St. John’s wort

Hypericum perforatum

A plant of the midsummer.

Hold up a leaf of hypericum to the sky and you will see all the little 'perforatums'. In fact they are not holes. If you were to look under a microscope you would see they are beautiful globules of golden red oil.

St. Johns wort is a powerful plant. Traditionally it was thought to drive away evil spirits. 

A more contemporary use is to stimulate the liver to get rid of toxins. This means that it can interact with some medications. So if you want to drink as a tea or take as a tincture or tablet it is good to get skilled advice.   

As a home remedy, St. Johns wort is useful topically for nerve recovery when there has been a break, bruise or sprain, or to ease nerve pain.

Herbalist first aiders working in the camps in Calais and Dunkirk use St. Johns wort in a bruise ointment. To find out more about the work click here.

You can make a infused oil using the fresh plant material from St. Johns wort. To find out how click here.