Hypericum Polyphyllum

Hypericum polyphyllum is a dwarf Turkish St John’s wort forming a low, spreading subshrub of slender stems densely clothed in small grey-green leaves. Bright yellow, five-petalled flowers open at the shoot tips in summer, each centred by a conspicuous brush of golden stamens. The combination of fine foliage and luminous flowers gives it exceptional value in a trough, rock garden or sunny wall. Native to rocky country in southern Turkey and north-western Syria, it tolerates drought and poor soil but needs excellent drainage, especially through a damp British winter.