St John's Wort

"Pinch the yellow flowers of this attractive perennial and -- presto, the petals turn red. St John's Wort is a common roadside weed that is tied by both name and legend to religion and witchcraft. It was said on the Isle of Wight that if you stepped on the plant at twilight, you might be carried off on a magic fairy horse and not return until daylight."

"For centuries this plant was thought to have the power to drive out devils. With the spread of Christianity, the plant was associated with St John the Baptist. It was said to bloom first on his birthday, June 24, and to bleed red oil from its leaf glands on the day in August that he was beheaded. Moreover, the plant was believed to be most potent if harvested for medicinal purposes on St John's Day." (Source: Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs)

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Originally Posted on 7/6/2005 5:31:55 PMContent source: http://www.herbsandnaturalremedies.com/herbs/st-johns-wort.htm