Why do so many medicinal plants end in "wort" like St. John's wort?

All plants have a latin name and usually a few common names. Think of this as the name on your government ID and your nickname.

St. John's wort is the common name for a plant called Hypericum perforatum.

The common names of many healing plants end in “wort.” If you ever stumble upon a “wort," then this should be a sign to you to inquire further.

For example, Mugwort is a medicinal plant that we love so much, we offer both a tincture and a tea infused with its leaves and flowers. And don’t forget about Motherwort, a plant in the mint family well-known for its heart-calming abilities. They both have a rich history as an herbal remedy.

Like Mugwort and Motherwort, St. John’s wort grows wild across the United States, but finds its roots in Central Asia and Europe. It has a long history of use in ancient European herbalism.

How do I identify St. John's wort when foraging?

From one forager to another, here's a basic beginner's checklist for identifying and harvesting wild-growing St. John's wort:

• First, harvest only on clean & legal land. This is land that you have permission to harvest on and has not been tainted by environmental pollutants.

• Second, ecosystem is everything. Knowing where plants prefer to grow is half of the battle. St. John's wort likes to grow along sunny fields and trails. It is not a plant that will be found in the understory of moist shaded forests.

• Third, season is also everything. In the New York, New Jersey, and Northeastern region of the United States where we live, St. John's wort blooms from June to August. The seasonality of plants have slight variations due to weather. But don't expect to find St. John's wort too far out of its season.

• Fourth, understand that St. John's wort will always have yellow flowers. But many other healing pants are growing in the same ecosystem and season as St. John's wort sport yellow flowers, like mullein. St. John's wort has gifted us its purple-staining flowers. This unique feature can be tested in the field by crushing a flower in between your fingers and seeing if your fingers stain purple. If it does, you are one step closer to proper plant identification.

• Sixth, St. John's wort features star-shaped flowers with 5 petals.

• Seventh, St. Johh's wort has a very distinct shrub that it grows on. Familiarizing yourself with its leaf growing patterns and other features will help you get comfortable identifying St. John's wort.

• Eighth, since St. John's wort is a wildflower, pollinators love it. Even though it is not native, it's important to harvest this plant ethically and sustainably by not overharvesting patches of this plant. Learning about ethical harvesting practices and implementing them is absolutely essential to every forager's checklist.

We can spend hours on plant identification alone, so we'll pause here. But hopefully this short beginner's checklist was helpful.

What is the history of St. John's wort as an herbal remedy?

As early as the fifth century B.C.E., the Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates was one of the first to document the therapeutic uses of St. John’s wort. Thousands of years ago, ancient Greeks and Europeans used this plant for wounds, burns, poisonous bites, menstrual disorders, and to drive evil spirits away.

But in modern times, St. John's wort isn't so renowned for its ability to drive evil spirits away. It's most known for aiding with symptoms of mild to moderate depression.

Scientific researches have been studying St. John's wort for 50+ years. There have been more than 35 controlled clinical studies of St. John's wort extracts for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Several meta-analyses (a meta-analysis is study of the results of many major studies) have documented the relative safety and probable efficacy of this medicinal plant.