Family: Clusiaceae, St.-John's-wort view all from this family

Description Pairs of small, oval leaves line the sparse, ascending to spreading branches of this 1-3 ft. shrubby plant. Showy, yellow, flowers with numerous stamens top the branches either singly or in branched clusters from the upper axils. The four petals of each flower are arranged in a cross.

Habitat Dry woods; pine barrens; sand hills and ridges; floodplains.

Range Florida to e. Texas, north to New Jersey, s. Indiana, and Missouri.

Discussion Three well-defined subspecies of Hypericum hypericoides occur in the eastern U.S.: ssp. hypericoides, ssp. multicaule, and ssp. oblongifolium.

Comments Three well-defined varieties occur in the eastern U.S.: var. hypericoides – FL to TX & Mex., n. to VA & TN; var. multicaule – GA to e. TX, n. to MA, s. IN & s.e. MO; and var. oblongifolium – FL to MS, n. to MD & s.e. MO

Exposure Preference Sun to partial shade.

Flower June - September

Native Distribution Florida to e. Texas, n. to Nantucket I., Pennsylvania, s. Indiana & s.e. Kansas

Site Preference Dry woods; pine barrens; sand hills & ridges; floodplains

Soil Preference Light, sandy or rocky soils

Wildlife Value Browsed by white-tail deer.