Plant Library

Brand:  Proven Winners

Description:

A beautiful variety with colorful orange new growth that matures to yellow; produces masses of yellow flowers in early summer; a very versatile shrub, makes a fantastic addition to the color garden; widely adaptable but thrives in moist, well-drained soil

Ornamental Features

Golden Rule® St. John's Wort has masses of beautiful yellow buttercup flowers at the ends of the branches from early summer to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has attractive chartreuse-variegated yellow foliage which emerges orange in spring. The oval leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Golden Rule® St. John's Wort is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Golden Rule® St. John's Wort is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Golden Rule® St. John's Wort will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Golden Rule® St. John's Wort makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.