Foraging for wild plants to use for medicinal purposes has become a very interesting and fun learning experience. A favourite plant to look for is St. John’s Wort. It gets its name from the fact that it often blooms on June 24, the birthday of the biblical St. John the Baptist and will continue flowering into July and August. It has beautiful yellow flowers and its leaves have tiny oil glands that look like small windows when held to the light. The flower buds have a red resin when squeezed which produces the most beautiful red tinctures and oils. St. John’s Wort can be taken internally as a tincture or tea and used externally in an oil or salves, which are all quite easy to make.

St. John’s Wort is used for a myriad of ailments. It’s most familiar use is for mental health issues like anxiety, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But the list goes on and on.

St. John’s Wort can help with hormonal imbalances so can help with menopause, PMS, and menstrual cramping. It helps with the symptoms of mild opiate withdrawal and aids people trying to quit smoking. St. John’s Wort can help children with bedwetting problems and can help reduce inflammation and pain from arthritis and gout.

Use the oil to massage away back and muscle pain and general body aches. There are many more uses for this wonderful plant, it’s definitely worth finding out more about. Before using any herb be sure to research any possible interactions with medication you are taking.