Blue Velvet St. Johnswort

Virtues: We love Blue Velvet St. Johnswort for its lustrous, fragrant blue-green leaves and vibrant yellow blooms with "fiber-optic" centers. This sun-loving, upward mounding shrub is a perfect small color accent for any garden, and also works well as a ground cover, in containers, or for mass planting. As an added bonus, bright red berries grow from late summer through the fall, bringing a touch of autumn color to your landscape.

Common name: St. Johnswort

Botanical name: Hypericum 'Blue Velvet'

Foliage: Textured, silvery blue-green leaves

Habit: Upward mounding, reaches mature height of 3-4 feet.

Season: Late spring through summer

Origin: Native cultivar

Cultivation: Plant in dry to average moisture soils that are very well-drained. Blue Velvet is heat and drought-tolerant, and is a perfect choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. Full sun to part shade. Zones 4-10.

Image Credit: Public Domain

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Learn more about xeriscape application in Smart Gardening Series: Xeriscape Gardening.

Drought-tolerant California Native Orange Poppies are a vibrant compliment for Blue Velvet St. Johnswort.

Planting more shrubs is one way to reduce garden maintenance. Find out other ways in The New Low-Maintenance Garden.

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