Hypericum hypericoides
St. Andrew's Cross
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Bright yellow 4-petaled flowers bloom continuously from mid-summer through early fall, attracting bees, butterflies and birds.
Description:
St. Andrew’s Cross is a small, loose branching semi-evergreen subshrub. Its 4-petaled yellow flowers form the shape of an “X” or cross, for which it is named. Flowers bloom continuously from mid-summer through early fall, and grow best in full sun, but also tolerate partial shade. St. Andrew’s Cross prefers dry to moist, sandy to loamy soil, with a pH range from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. It is relatively short-lived. Its native habitat includes dry open woodlands and upland slopes throughout the southeast, from Texas to New Jersey. The Coastal Plain of New Jersey is its northern-most range limit.
Wildlife Value: The bright yellow flowers attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Birds consume the seeds and use the small shrub for cover.
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Shrub
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Summer, Late Summer to Fall
Bloom Colors: Yellow
Deer Resistance: Unknown
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds
Salt Tolerance: Unknown
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: Coastal Plain - CP
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 1 - 3 ft
Spread: 3 - 4 ft
Growth Rate: Slow-medium