St John's-wort, Slender

Information on Slender St John's-wort

Common Name: Slender St John's-wort
Scientific Name: Hypericum pulchrum
Irish Name: Beathnua baineann
Family Group: Hypericaceae
Distribution: View Map (Courtesy of the BSBI)
Flowering Period


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Slender St John's-wort could sometimes be confused with:

St John's-wort, Perforate, St John's-wort, Trailing,

This hairless perennial is widespread throughout Ireland in mountain districts, heaths, woodland paths and hedgerows.  It has rich yellow five-petalled flowers (15mm across), the petals having red spots, with dark dots on their margins as have the five sepals.  The flowers, which bloom from June to August, are borne on erect slender rounded stems in slender panicles.  The paired leaves have translucent dots.  This is a native plant belonging to the family Hypericaceae. 

I first identified this plant in Laragh, Co Wicklow in 1976 and photographed it in Tullycanna, Co Wexford in 2007. 

If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre

St John's Wort was named after St John the Baptist as the red spots on the petals of this flower were a reminder of the spots of blood which fell at his beheading.  The translucent spots on the leaves were said to be the tears wept for him on his death.     

St John's-wort, Slender
St John's-wort, Slender
St John's-wort, Slender
St John's-wort, Slender