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Fannon, Carolyn

Hypericum crux-andreae

Hypericum crux-andreae (L.) Crantz

St. Peter's-wort, Atlantic St. Peter's-wort, St. Peter's Cross, St. John's-wort

Clusiaceae (Mangosteen Family)

Synonym(s): Ascyrum crux-andreae, Ascyrum cuneifolium, Ascyrum stans, Hypericum stans

USDA Symbol: HYCR3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

An erect shrub with lemon yellow flowers at branch tips.

This shrubby Hypericum has only four petals instead of the usual five, and the sepals are of very unequal sizes. The similar St. Andrew's Cross (H. hypericoides), with two styles, inner sepals minute or absent, and narrower leaves, is found on sandy sites from Massachusetts south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Kansas; in the north it may form a mat on the ground. Low St. Andrew's Cross (H. suffruticosum) is only 2 1/2-6 inches (6.5-15 cm) tall, with usually only two sepals, the flowers eventually nodding; it is found in sandy sites in the coastal plain from South Carolina south to Florida and west to Louisiana.

From the Image Gallery

4 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 4-1/2 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MD , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA
Native Distribution: New York south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
Native Habitat: Sandy sites and pine barrens.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACU	FAC			FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
First United Methodist Church of Jefferson City - Jefferson City, TN

Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Hypericum crux-andreae in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Hypericum crux-andreae in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hypericum crux-andreae

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-03-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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