Does anyone know where I can get St. John's wort seeds in Australia?

Question

I tried Eden Seeds, but it doesn't appear on their website.

Answer 1

More copies available from the Cooperative Research Centre for  Weed Management Systems (Weeds CRC) at University of Adelaide,  PMB1 Glen Osmond, South Australia, Australia 5064, ph 08/8303 6590, fx 08/8303 7125, email: [e-mail]

web: www.waite.adelaide.edu.au/CRCWMS

Botanical name: Hypericum perforatum L. -

Family Clusiaceae (previously Guttiferae or

Hypericaceae).

Standard common name: St John’s wort.

Relationship to other species in Australia:

There are two indigenous native species of

Hypericum which may co-occur with St John’s wort

and with which it could be confused. Both

indigenous species may be distinguished by the

absence of black gland dots on the petals and

leaves, the presence of 4 longitudinal ridges on the

stem (young stems of St John’s wort are 2-ridged)

and by the stamens not being fused into bundles.

Hypericum gramineum, small St John’s wort, is an

indigenous species usually smaller (10-430 cm

high) than St John’s wort which can be

distinguished by its petals being less than 8 mm

long (more than 8 mm long in St John’s wort), its

leaves having recurved margins and the absence

of oil glands. Hypericum japonicum, matted St

John’s wort, is a prostrate or procumbent plant

rarely more than 8 cm high with leaves less than 10

mm long.

Of the Hypericum species introduced to Australia,

H. triquetrifolium, tangled hypericum or wavyleaf St

John’s wort, from the Mediterranean region, is a

prohibited weed in Victoria and WA. Leaves of this

species are not conspicuously dotted with

translucent oil glands and have undulating margins

that are not recurved. Several other introduced

species of Hypericum also occur in Australia.

Legislation: The status of St John’s wort varies

considerably between and within states. It is

declared noxious in parts of NSW, Victoria,

Tasmania and WA. It is not declared in ACT, NT,

Qld or SA. Keep up to date with the latest legislation

through local and State/Territory government weed

agencies or on the web at www.weeds.org.au

Description

Habit/lifeform: St John’s wort is a perennial

herb with two growth stages - in autumn and

winter as a flat low rosette, diameter 10-60 cm,

with spindly non-flowering stems and a dense

mat of leaves, and in spring and summer as an

erect twiggy form which produces one or more

woody flowering or non-flowering stems, 30-

120 cm high.

Description: Mature plants have a central

woody crown. In late autumn, winter and

early spring, horizontal, pale green or reddish

stems with bright green, elongate leaves grow

from the crown to form a rosette. One to many

upright flowering stems are produced from this

crown in spring. Clusters of bright yellow

flowers (1-2 cm in diameter, with 5 petals and

black glands on the margins) develop in

summer Flowers have narrow

sepals much smaller than the petals and

numerous stamens fused at the base into

three bundles. Flowering is followed by the

formation of reddish-brown seed capsules that

contain small cylindrical black seeds,

approximately 1 mm long. Seeds fall from the

capsules in autumn, when the erect stems die.