# Sandhill St. John's-wort (*Hypericum tenuifolium*)

Sandhill St. John's-wort is a bright yellow flower that grows in sunny places. Its cheerful blooms can make any field look happy and bright!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Sandhill St. John's-wort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hypericum_tenuifolium.png&width=800)

Photo: Valerie Anderson, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hypericum_tenuifolium.png)

## Appearance

The Sandhill St. John's-wort has slender stems and small, narrow, linear leaves. Its vibrant yellow flowers feature five petals and numerous prominent stamens, giving them a fuzzy, star-like appearance. These bright blooms stand out against its green foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Malpighiales
- **Family:** Hypericaceae
- **Genus:** Hypericum

## Interesting facts

- Its many stamens make the flower look fuzzy, inviting hungry bees to visit!
- Some Hypericum plants have a special red pigment that inspired old dyes!
- The plant can survive wildfires by regrowing from hidden roots underground!
- This plant's tiny flower petals look like bright sunbeams pointing outwards!

## Special abilities

- **Drought Resilience:** Sandhill St. John's-wort has deep roots that help it find water in dry, sandy soils to survive periods of drought.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Sandhill St. John's-wort can attract pollinators with its many bright yellow stamens, making its flowers irresistible for reproduction.
- **Seed Spreader:** Sandhill St. John's-wort has small capsules that release tiny seeds, allowing it to spread and colonize new sandy areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from blooms.
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch Butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — Sips nectar, helping transfer pollen.
- **Eaten by:** St. John's-wort Leaf Beetle (*Chrysolina quadrigemina*) — Feeds on leaves and stems.
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses occasionally on foliage.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch flowers unless a grown-up says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Sandhill St. John's-wort?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Sandhill St. John's-wort?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Sandhill St. John's-wort?

1-2 cm

### When does Sandhill St. John's-wort bloom?

Summer

### Is Sandhill St. John's-wort edible?

No

### Is Sandhill St. John's-wort toxic?

Mild

### What is Sandhill St. John's-wort's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Sandhill St. John's-wort pollinated?

Insect

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Sandhill St. John's-wort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sandhill-st-johns-wort)