Herb, St. John’s Wort

Saint John’s Wort is an ancient herb, cultivated for thousands of years or collected in the wild by Asian, African, European and native American cultures. The name refers to St. John the Baptist because the plant is said to begin blooming onhis birthday, June 24th, to “bleed” red oil from its leaf glands in August on the day he was beheaded, August 29th, and to be most potent when harvested on St. John’s Day, June 24th. The term ‘wort’ means plant.

This herb’s demonstrative properties have fascinated mankind since before recorded history. When the petals of the flowers or the leaves are crushed, they secrete a red liquid appearing to ‘bleed’, thus early medicinal applications for the herb were as a wound dressing. Native Americans used a North American native species of Saint John’s Wort to ease stomach ailments.

Today, the real medicinal properties of the herb are well documented. As a powdered extract made from the leaves and roots, it can be used to treat mild depression. As an oil extracted from the flowers it can be used to ease burns and ulcers. It also can be dangerous, especially to grazing animals. The oil in the flowers and leaves contains a photosensitizing agent which can be deadly to pale pigmented sheep and goats.