States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

St. Andrew's-cross

Hypericum hypericoides

Found in dry forests and woodlands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

72
Strong

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2–4 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous or evergreen
Bloom
Spring, summer and fall
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 69 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · 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 17
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
  • Tallula watsoniWatson's Tallula
  • Zale lunataLunate Zale
  • Caloptilia hypericella
  • Fomoria hypericella
  • 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

1AntsRecorded seed interactions
  • Pogonomyrmex badius

Pogonomyrmex badius: Seed predation.

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Hypericaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Yellow
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

St. Andrew's cross; St. Andrews Cross

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot 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.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources