# Scouler's St. John's Wort (*hypericum scouleri*)

Scouler's St. John's Wort is a bright yellow flower that adds color to meadows and gardens! Its petals are shaped like tiny stars, making it a favorite among kids who love to explore nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Scouler's St. John's Wort typically grows in sunny meadows, grasslands, and along roadsides.
- **Also known as:** Golden St. John's Wort, Scouler's Wort

![Scouler's St. John's Wort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hypericumscouleri.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Merrie Freed, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hypericumscouleri.jpg)

## Appearance

The Scouler'S St. John'S Wort has bright yellow, five-petaled flowers with many prominent stamens, often appearing in clusters. Its opposing, oval-shaped green leaves are dotted with translucent glands, making them appear perforated. It grows with slender, often reddish stems.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Bees sometimes buzz-pollinate its flowers to shake out hidden pollen!
- Its leaves look like they have tiny holes, but they're just see-through glands!
- Its name honors Dr. John Scouler, a Scottish naturalist!
- Some St. John's Worts glow under UV light because of their special compounds!

## Special abilities

- **Sun Screen Power:** Scouler'S St. John'S Wort has tiny translucent dots on its leaves that help it produce special compounds for defense.
- **Pollen Beacon:** Scouler'S St. John'S Wort has a burst of many long stamens in its flowers that acts like a landing pad for insect pollinators.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-60 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers pollen and nectar from its bright yellow blooms.
- **Eaten by:** Klamath Weed Beetle (*Chrysolina quadrigemina*) — This beetle was introduced to control St. John's wort weeds.
- **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Mule deer sometimes browse on its leaves and stems.

## Traits

- [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbaceous): Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Scouler's 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 Scouler's St. John's Wort?

10-60 cm

### How wide does Scouler's St. John's Wort spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Scouler's St. John's Wort?

1-2.5 cm

### When does Scouler's St. John's Wort bloom?

Summer

### Is Scouler's St. John's Wort edible?

No

### Is Scouler's St. John's Wort toxic?

Mild

### What is Scouler's St. John's Wort's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Great Northern Railway Buildings](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-northern-railway-buildings) — Montana, US · Historic Site
- [Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kokanee-glacier-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## 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: [Scouler's St. John's Wort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/scoulers-st-johns-wort)