• Tuesday-What'sUP July 28 - 12:41 pm

When today's photos arrived in my Inbox from Joe Kirkish, I thought it was just another pretty flower. Which it is, but Joe explained that it is so much more…here's the scoop on St. John's Wort, from Joe:

"They're back and in season for the next few weeks! They grow plentifully in ditches and nearby areas from Copper Harbor to Calumet (and some as far as the Houghton area#. They make a great tea after dried and then boiled - and sweetened with a little honey. The tea made from them is better than coffee for a pickup, because the relaxing feeling comes on more slowly and lasts longer before fading away.

If you're not sure that it's St. John's Wort, hold a plant up to the sun and you will see "windows" #tiny dotted openings) in the leaves. They are probably the least dangerous of all wild edible plants here. Pick them, dry them, use the flowers for the most power, the leaves for 2nd most and the stems for the least power.

I picked bundles for winter use; they're a nice, easy pick-me-up when feeling down in the dumps. They should be kept in a dark storage after dried. And anyone taking Prozac or something for a serious anti-depressant, should check with his or her doctor before consuming, just to play it safe.

Good luck hunting!"

Have seen this all over but never knew what it was! Thanks for the education!

jbuck, I too, never knew what it was. Very
interesting and so informative. Thanks, Joe!!!

see those flowers a lot.

Have heard/read about St. John's Wort but have never seen it. Maybe it doesn't grow this far south.
Thanks for the info, Joe, and Mary.

I use St. John's Wort w/my doc's blessings. It's way
better than the pharmas that leave you feeling
"Plastic".....the European countries use more of this
than the pharmas.

i could just about walk right into today's gorgeous
pics!thanks for sharing !!!

Pretty flowers.

Wow nice pix Joe, and very interesting! "Take a trip and never leave the farm!" lol

At first I thought is was common Ragweed, which is
all we see around here. I think St. John's Wort is
related to common Ragweed. Up close Ragweed does
not have the nice blossoms.

I second the motion of checking with your Doctor
as it can also interact and weaken several other
common medications including but not limited to
statins for cholesterol and beta blocker heart
medications.

I haven't tried St. Johns Wort, but I'm tempted now, because I could sure use that long-lasting relaxed feeling!!
But as innocent as herbs look, they can be pretty powerful to sensitive people. For example, I tried Valerian Root tea to aid sleep, and it gave me a terrible migraine (which I get every so often). After that episode, I Googled Valerian Root tea, and sure enough, it is known to produce migraines. In the trash it went!