Shrubby St. John's-wort

Hypericum prolificum

Found in bogs, seepages, dry rocky forests, rock outcrops, riverside prairies. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height: 1–5 feet
Spread: 1–4 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 16 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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Hypericum prolificum — bloom photograph — (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: June to October
Fruiting season: Fall

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Recorded in 3 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 4

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trees and rocks on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Limestone prairie. Shown: Grand Prairie, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Georgia, a neighboring state.Grand Prairie, Coosa Valley Prairies, Floyd County, Alan M. Cressler / U.S. Geological Survey, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Seeps and springs

Places where groundwater keeps the soil or rock wet, such as seepage slopes and spring runs.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 116 animals.

Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Black Duck
Anas rubripes
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Coot
Fulica americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Dendroica caerulescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

15CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Hypericum

Acleris maculidorsanaStained-Back Leafroller Moth
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Iodopepla u-albumBurgundy St. Johnswort Moth, White-Eyed Borer
Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
Nedra ramosulaGray Half-Spot
Nemoria bistriariaTwo-Striped Emerald, Red-Fringed Emerald
Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
Probole amicariaFriendly Probole

Show all 15

Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Tallula watsoniWatson's Tallula
Zale lunataLunate Zale
Coleotechnites nigritus
Xenotemna pallorana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

43BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Hypericum

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Hypericum

Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Hypericaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Fall
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “June to October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “1–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “1–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Shrubby St. John's wort; Shrubby St. Johnswort

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Spreads by rhizomes. Can spread by rhizomes; spring pruning keeps it in check. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Shrubby St. John's-wort

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Hypericum