Hypericum olympicum Citrinum - St. John's wort

Hypericum olympicum 'Citrinum' is a perennial or semi-evergreen undershrub that loves the sun and resists drought well. Its abundant light lemon-yellow flowers are wide open with a tuft of central stamens. They bloom in summer, carried by thin stems above small grey-green foliage a little wider than the species type and 2 to 3cm (1in) long. This suckering plant forms a dense ground cover for rockeries and borders, in drained soil. Very hardy.

Hypericum olympicum 'Citrinum' belongs to the Hypericaceae family. It is a semi-evergreen perennial with a woody and suckering stump, related to the shrubby St. John's wort. From its Greek, but also Balkan, Syrian, and Turkish origins, it has retained a certain taste for sunny situations and a good tolerance for poor and dry soils. The plant forms a dense tuft, 30cm (12in) high, producing numerous upright branches in the centre, while they are arched or even prostrate on the periphery of the tufts. Its oblong leaves of a grey-green shade measure about 2.5cm (1in) in length. The abundant flowering takes place in June-July, depending on the climate, and sometimes reoccurs in September-October. The flowers are gathered in small terminal clusters and are composed of 5 bright yellow petals surrounding a small tuft of protruding golden stamens. It spreads slowly through prostrate stems that root on contact with the soil.

Hypericum olympicum 'Citrinum' is an excellent plant for dry gardens or rockeries. Its light colour is unique. It will thrive in drained soil, even limestone, alongside pussytoes, globularias, candytufts, or sunroses. It also forms dense borders, perfect for planting in front of fragrant bushes like lavender, rosemary, lavatera, or wormwood. It will also enjoy a sunny slope, cascading over a wall. It will have the most beautiful effect in the foreground of perennial beds or raised flower beds. It can be planted with numerous other rockery plants: erigeron, dianthus, shrub wallflower, and perennial plants like Iris germanica, cistus, heleniums, convolvulus, coreopsis, shrubby sages, and perennial flax.