St. John’s Wort

Hypericum perforatum- Family: Turneraceae

What is St. John’s Wort and where is it found?

St. John’s Wort is a bright yellow flower that can be found in Europe, North America, South America, Australia, West Asia, and North Africa. The flowers, buds, and leaves are used for its medicine. It is traditionally harvested during the summer solstice, but can usually be wildcrafted between June and September depending on the weather and location.

Different ways St. John’s Wort is sold:

Dried loose leaf tea, in a tea blend, tincture (alcohol extract), infused oil, salve.

St. John’s Wort Preparations

Tea

• Short infusion:
  Pour boiling water over herb. Cover and let infuse for 10-30 minutes. I usually let it infuse for 15-20 minutes.

Tincture (alcohol extract)

• Tincture:
  Cover herb in high percentage alcohol. Let sit for a month. Shake every day. Strain and label.

Oil & Salve

St. John’s Wort is a very popular salve and oil to use for nerve damage, nerve pain, and sore muscles. St. John’s Wort is one of the only herbs I prepare in an oil & salve using fresh plant material. Once St. John’s Wort dries the phytochemicals degrade and no longer make strong medicine. This is not the case when working with tea, feel free to use dried St. John’s Wort for tea.

• Infused Oil – Maceration:
  Take fresh plant material and let sit for a few hours or overnight until slightly wilted. Put in a sterilized glass jar and pour oil over choice over until completely covered. Let sit in a sunny window for 4 weeks. **This is also specific to St. John’s Wort, usually we macerate our oils in a dark cabinet. When 4 weeks are over, either strain or move on to heat method.
• Infused Oil – Heat:
  Place oil and plant material in a double broiler or Crockpot. Make sure the oil does not bubble or go over 150 degrees Farenheit. Stir periodically. Let sit for 4-8 hours. Strain or continue on to turn into a salve.
• Salve:
  When oil is in the double broiler or Crockpot, add beeswax. Amount depending on desired consistency. A common starting point is 1 part beeswax for every 4 parts oil.

Contraindications

Do not take St. John’s Wort internally if on pharmaceuticals. Can cause light sensitivity to light, but is usually more associated with hypericin supplements, rather than whole-plant extracts.