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St. John’s wort begins to bloom around St. John the Baptist’s birthday, June 24—hence its name—and continues until August. There is a myth that St. John’s wort sprouted at the site of the beheading of John the Baptist. It was believed that the plant’s healing and protective properties were so profound that the devil perforated its leaves to hinder its power.
A Brief History of St. John’s Wort
St. John’s wort’s scientific name is Hypericum perforatum, which refers to the plant’s use by the ancient Greeks, who hung the herb over depictions of gods to ward off evil spirits.
There are more than 400 species in the Hypericum family. It’s the Hypericum perforatum subspecies that qualifies as a medicinal plant.
