Brigadoon St. John's Wort

Brigadoon St. John's Wort (Hypericum calycinum 'Brigadoon')

Brigadoon St. John's Wort is a low, spreading groundcover that brightens beds with golden chartreuse foliage and a long season of bold yellow flowers. It is an easy way to add color to edges, slopes, and difficult spots where you want coverage that looks intentional from spring through fall. The foliage tends to glow more golden in brighter light and shifts greener in heavier shade, giving you flexibility in design. Once established, it is a practical, low-maintenance choice that helps reduce weeds and keeps bare soil from showing.

Distinctive Features

This groundcover form of St. John's Wort features narrow, golden to chartreuse leaves on dense, low stems that spread by runners to form a broad patch. In summer, it produces large, saucer-shaped, bright yellow flowers with prominent stamens that stand out against the foliage. It can be semi-evergreen in milder winters and may die back in colder winters, then rebounds and flowers on new growth. A conservative mature size is about 6 to 12 inches tall with a spread of about 12 to 24 inches, with the potential to broaden further over time as it runs.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to part shade, with foliage staying more golden in brighter light and more chartreuse in shade.
• Soil: Average, well-drained soil is ideal, and it adapts to a range of soils if drainage is reliable.
• Water: Medium moisture is best, and it tolerates short dry periods once established.
• USDA Zones: Zones 5 to 8.
• Mature Size: About 6 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide, spreading by runners over time.
• Habit: Low, spreading, groundcover shrub that forms a dense mat.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use as a focal point along a path edge or at the front of a bed where the golden foliage can brighten the entire planting.
• Groundcover: Plant in groups to create a weed-suppressing carpet that fills gaps and softens bed edges.
• Erosion Control: Use on slopes and banks where a spreading habit helps cover soil and stabilize the look of the site.
• Border Edging: Line beds and walkways for a low, tidy ribbon of color that reads clean from a distance.
• Dry Shade Accent: Place in part shade under open-canopy trees where you want dependable coverage and seasonal bloom.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Water regularly the first season to establish roots, then water during extended dry spells.
• Mulching: Mulch lightly to conserve moisture and reduce weeds, keeping mulch off the crowns and stems.
• Pruning: Cut back hard in early spring to refresh growth, control spread, and encourage strong flowering.
• Fertilizing: Feed lightly in spring if growth is weak, and avoid overfertilizing that can reduce bloom.
• Containment: Edge or thin the patch as needed to keep runners within the desired planting area.
• Winter Cleanup: Remove winter-damaged stems in spring, since new growth will quickly fill in.

Why Choose Brigadoon St. John's Wort?

• Golden Foliage: Chartreuse to gold leaves add bright contrast from spring through fall.
• Bold Summer Flowers: Large, bright yellow blooms bring a clean mid-season highlight.
• Weed Suppression: Dense, spreading growth helps cover soil and reduce open space in beds.
• Flexible Light Tolerance: Performs in sun to part shade, making it useful across varied sites.
• Low Maintenance Coverage: Simple spring cutback and basic watering are usually all it needs to look good.

If you want a groundcover that delivers both foliage color and summer flowers while helping beds stay clean and filled in, Brigadoon St. John's Wort is an excellent choice. Give it reliable drainage, steady moisture while it establishes, and a spring cutback to keep growth fresh. Over time it forms a bright, durable patch that adds seasonal impact with minimal upkeep.