Hypercolored Hypericum takes Center Stage in the gray and rainy December garden

Even the sleet cannot diminish the brilliant late fall color display.

The hyper-colored Hypericum is a vibrant mix of golds, reds, burgundies, oranges and fading greens that pop against the dark tree bark and ice covered trees.

Cedarglade St. John's-wort and Golden St Johnswort are a few of its common names.

Hypericum frondosum puts on this fantastic hypercolored show beginning in late October or early November and keeps on glowing through most of December.

Late October 2013

When I planted one H frondosum 'Sunburst' twenty years ago, I had no idea that it was a prolific self seeder! Since then, I have planted dozens of its offspring all over the garden and have been rewarded with four seasons of beauty~ blue green foliage, masses of golden flowers that are covered with pollinators, attractive exfoliating bark and this marvelous hyper-colored fall foliage.

Rain or shine it's gorgeous...and it makes my garden glow!

It's a lovely stand alone shrub, but, massing it in a bed and planting other native plants from a cedar glade woodland makes sense for this wildlife friendly garden and creates a stunning fall show!

Native Habitat: Limestone cliffs; rocky hills; barrens

I love Hypericum frondosum and can't imagine why it's not more readily available commercially. It's gorgeous orange/burgundy/red/golden leaves make for a spectacular fall color show and in my opinion, it's far superior to invasive Burning Bush.

But, you don't have to take my word for it, let my garden do the talking, just stop by to check it out!

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.