St. John's Wort
Small yellow flowers that turn your fingers red when you crush them. St. John's Wort has been steeped into tea and stirred into oil across Europe for centuries.
What It Is
St. John's Wort is a wild-growing perennial with bright yellow blooms that appear around midsummer, traditionally harvested near the feast of St. John the Baptist, which is where the name comes from. The flowers and leaves both contain the plant's characteristic compounds, visible as tiny dark dots along the leaf edges when you hold one up to the light.
This is dried herb, wildcrafted rather than cultivated. It has a long history in European folk tradition, used in teas, tinctures, and infused oils. The infused oil, made by steeping the flowers in a carrier oil, has been used topically for generations in home herbalism.
What To Do
For tea, steep one teaspoon of dried herb in hot water for about ten minutes, then strain. The flavor is mild and slightly bitter, pleasant on its own or with honey. It blends well with other dried herbs like lemon balm or chamomile.
To make an infused oil, pack a jar loosely with the dried herb, cover completely with olive oil, and let it sit in a sunny window for four to six weeks, shaking it every few days, then strain out the plant material. Store dried herb in a sealed container away from light and heat, where it will keep well for about a year.
