Hypericum calycinum
Aaron's Beard
Common names: Rose of Sharon, Great St. John's Wort
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Pruning
- Feb–Mar
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
Photo: Franz Xaver · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Hypericum calycinum, also known as Aaron's Beard, is an evergreen subshrub that spreads through creeping stolons to form dense, knee-deep carpets. From June to September, it produces large, bright yellow sepals with a prominent cluster of stamens in the center. Unlike St. John's Wort, this species is not used as a medicinal plant, but rather valued as a robust groundcover. It tolerates drought, root pressure, and partial shade under trees remarkably well. However, like other Hypericum species, it contains substances that make it slightly toxic: all parts are not edible, and contact with sensitive skin can cause irritation and redness, especially in strong sunlight.
Care instructions
Plant Hypericum calycinum in the spring, around mid-April to early May, with a spacing of 30-40 cm to allow the stolons to form a closed carpet. A well-draining, moderately fertile soil is sufficient; water regularly in the first few weeks after planting, and then the plant can tolerate longer dry periods. Cut back the plant in early spring, around late February to March, to maintain compactness and promote dense, even regrowth. Since the stolons spread widely, a root barrier or edging may be necessary to contain the area. As an understory planting or for slope stabilization, it requires minimal maintenance thereafter.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Sep
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, dry, sandy
Aaron's beard copes well with poor, free-draining soil and also tolerates dry spells without problems. Before planting, loosen heavy, waterlogged soils with sand or fine gravel. On chalky as well as slightly acidic sites the plant grows equally reliably.
Feeding
Light feeder
As an undemanding ground-cover plant, Aaron's beard needs hardly any extra feeding. A thin layer of mature compost in spring is quite enough to supply the plant with nutrients. On poor sites this even encourages a compact, dense habit.
Pruning
Cut the shoots back to ground level or to a hand's breadth in late winter, just before new growth starts; this keeps the stand dense and free-flowering. The cut also removes old, woody foliage and gives a neat, even carpet. Shaping during the season is normally not necessary.
Overwintering
Aaron's beard is hardy and comes through frost outdoors without problems in most parts of Central Europe. In very severe winters with little snow the foliage can be somewhat frosted back, but it reliably sprouts again in spring. A light mulch layer of leaves gives freshly planted specimens extra protection in their first winter.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- Cuttings
- Runners
The easiest way is to divide established clumps in spring or autumn and set the pieces straight in their new place. The plant forms underground runners, which you can cut off with a little root and plant separately. Tip cuttings from semi-ripe shoots in summer also root reliably if you keep them moist in a bright, sheltered place. Sowing is possible, but it takes much longer to first flowering.
For your garden
Grow Aaron's Beard yourself
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