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Hypericum coris

Heath-leaved St. John's wort

Family HypericaceaeAlso called Yellow coris

About

A low shrub of the western Alps with whorled, heath-like leaves. It has been grown in gardens since the 18th century for its long flowering season.

Care at a glance

Pet safety
Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
People
Not recorded.
Light
Full sun.
Water
Moderate water.
Mature size
10–40 cm tall.

Field notes

Morphology

A dwarf shrub 10–40 cm tall from a woody branching base. Slender stems carry leaves in whorls of four, dull grey-green beneath. Unusually for the genus, its wood vessels contain dark-staining substances.

Distribution & habitat

Sunny calcareous rocks at 120–2,000 m in Switzerland, northwestern Italy and the far southeast of France.

Ecology

Flowers June to July.

Cultivation notes

Grown as an ornamental in rock gardens; it needs full sun and moderate water and adapts well to cultivation.

History & etymology

Described by Linnaeus in 1753; the type species of sect. Coridium. Resembles H. asperuloides but differs in capsule and seed.

Conservation

Rated least concern in France.

Read the full article on Wikipedia →

Habitat

Altitude
Not recorded
Altitude class
—
Native to
Switzerland, Italy, France

Cultivation

Difficulty
Not recorded

Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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