I love the berries that are forming on a hypericum androsaemum 'Golden Tutsan' plant at my local nursery. I've never grown hypericums because of concerns about invasiveness. Does anyone have experience growing 'Golden Tutsan"? Is it fairly invasive? And is it self-fertile, or would I need to plant several specimens in order to get those wonderful berries?

Great looking specimen! Does appear to be St. Andrew's Cross. Did you find it at The Bluff? I have only once tried that one. It was sent bareroot from N GA and didn't live. There is supposed to be 2 subspecies (some list 3) of H. hypericoides, ssp. hypericoides /autonym/ ssp. multicaule /multi stem/ and the 3rd one, which is not universally recognized: ssp. stragulum /covering, blanket, horse-blanket(ancient)/ The new Flora of the Carolinas, VA & GA (Draft) does not separate it into subspecies, although that may change before publication (If ever, It has been in progress for 14 years!). Thanks for the seed offer. I probably have as many seed already, as I can care for. I am waiting on the last one's of this year to mature, from a white berried Callicarpa americana. I usually sow about 200 of those, since only a small percentage will produce plants with white berries. Also waiting on some yellow Buckeyes to mature and fall off. Rb

I would recommend trying Asclepias Incarnata, or Swamp Milkweed. I think most of the native,deciduous milkweeds germinate better with stratification, but some will grow without. Incarnata does well in moist heat and sun. It is also a favorite of Monarchs for egg laying. Good luck. Martha

I harvested seeds from my next door neighbor's St. John's wort many years ago, winter sowed them and planted the seedlings either side of my front door step back around 2009 or so. They come back every year, do their thing and die back in our severe New England winters. Generally it takes a few seasons to judge how various plants/shrubs adapt to growing in your garden. I winter sowed butterfly bush seeds, Buddleia 'Black Knight' as well. All the plants are growing in my various garden beds and seem to perform similarly. In my experience, letting perennials and shrubs do their own thing seems to be all that needs be said when it comes to gardening & garden plant performance. The plants know what to do, so I let them.