Hypericum androsaemum
Tutsan
Family HypericaceaeAlso called Sweet-amber, Shrubby St. John's wort
About
Tutsan is a small bushy shrub with oval leaves, yellow flowers and fleshy berries that ripen from red to black. Native to Western Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, it is grown as a low-maintenance garden shrub.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Water
- Withstands drought; prone to root rot in hot, humid conditions.
- Soil
- Tolerates moderately acidic to alkaline soils.
- Propagation
- Self-sows from seed if allowed.
- Mature size
- 30–70 cm tall; space about 90 cm apart.
- Hardiness
- Hardy to about −20 °C (−4 °F).
Field notes
Morphology
Grows 30–70 cm tall with many upright stems. The oval leaves are green with a red tint and carry small red-pigmented glands. Flowers are 1.5–2.5 cm across with five petals and many stamens. Unusually for Hypericum, the berries stay soft and fleshy when ripe.
Distribution & habitat
Most common in Western Europe, especially the British Isles, the Ardennes and western France, extending to the Pyrenees, northern Spain, Portugal and Italy. Introduced to wet temperate regions including Australia and New Zealand.
Ecology
Seeds germinate in autumn and plants flower at 18–24 months old, from late spring to early summer. It is partly deciduous, dropping most leaves in autumn and regrowing quickly in spring.
Cultivation notes
Needs little care and is usually free of pests and disease, though nematodes, thrips and scale occur, and it can wilt or rot in hot, humid climates. It tolerates acidic to alkaline soil, drought and frost to −20 °C, and self-sows. Cut back after leaf fall if needed.
History & etymology
Described by Linnaeus in 1763 and repeatedly placed in its own genus Androsaemum; it is now the type species of Hypericum sect. Androsaemum.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Denmark
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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