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St John's Wort

14 years ago

How do you prune a St John's Wort plant?

It has long woody branches with 5 or 6 short

woody branches on each one. The short branches is the part

that flowers bloom from. If I cut it back and

remove all these 5 or 6 short woody branches,

I will be left with the long woody branches.

Will the short branches come back?.

I need step by step pictures of how to prune

this plant.

Rose

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Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
14 years ago
It would help to know what type of St John's wort you have - there's many different species and hybrids - but now is not a good time to prune any of the shrubby forms.....unless you don't mind losing any more flowers for this season :-)

There really isn't a step-by-step involved. Prune the entire plant back to a few inches from the ground each year in late winter or early spring. The groundcover form can be pruned back at any time and often is done multiple times a season to keep its aggressiveness in check and to remove rust damaged foliage, which is a huge problem in many areas.
eclecticats
Original Author
14 years ago
I will send you a picture of it as soon as I get a chance.
Yes, I know it has to be pruned in the spring.
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Thank you NHBabs--you have sparked an idea for me. I have candytuft and perennial geraniums "St. Ola" and some purple variety growing on the opposite side of the walkway from the lavender and both seem to do well, so that is an option that might really work and would require minimal pruning as I only deadhead the candytuft if we are really droughty and it gets a lot of brown tips at once. I also have boxwoods, as do most of the houses around here, so I guess I was thinking of these as a backup in case I can't find something else--something with flowers or that will take less shearing/pruning. I love caryopteris and saw a lovely hedge-like planting of them at Longwood Gardens in PA, but both of the ones I planted here died in 3-4 years. Additionally, they were so incredibly late to leaf out in spring that I always had to spend a month wondering whether they had actually survived winter. I think that'll put me back to the same problem I have with the lavender--too much time spent looking bleh for the front walk, although I hope to have them again someday out back.
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eclecticats
Original Author
14 years ago
I am sending a picture of my St. John's Wort via the 'Name This Plant" forum. That is the only way I know how to include a picture.
eclecticats
Original Author
14 years ago
Okay, I found out that I could use Photobucket which I am a member. Here is a better picture of St John's Wort with my question.

{{gwi:248121}}
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
14 years ago
Yes....cut back to a few inches above the ground in early spring. In my climate, I'd bump that up to midMarch.
eclecticats
Original Author
14 years ago
I live in New York, would I do it in Mid March also?
Carrie B
14 years ago
Here in Philly we cut most hypericum back to about 12" every April.

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