Are St John’s Wort Berries Edible? A Closer Look at This Medicinal Plant

St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a flowering plant that has been used medicinally for centuries. It gets its common name from the fact that it blooms around St John’s Day on June 24th This cheerful yellow-flowered plant has a long history of use in treating nervous disorders, wounds, and burns But one part of this plant that often gets overlooked are the berries. So are St John’s wort berries edible? Let’s take a closer look.

An Overview of St John’s Wort

St John’s wort is native to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa but has naturalized in many parts of the world including North America. It prefers sunny locations and is commonly found along roadsides, meadows, pastures and waste areas.

The plant grows to about 1-3 feet tall on branched stems. The leaves are opposite stalkless and dotted with small translucent glands. When held up to light the leaves take on a perforated appearance, which is how the plant got its species name perforatum.

From June to August, St John’s wort produces cheerful yellow flowers with 5 petals The flowers have conspicuous black dots along the margins of the petals and bloom in clusters at the ends of the stems

In addition to its bright flowers, St John’s wort can also produce small, red berries in late summer to early fall. The berries are about the size of a peppercorn, ranging from 4-5 mm across. Each berry contains many tiny seeds.

Traditional Uses of St John’s Wort

St John’s wort has a long history of use as a medicinal herb. Historically, it was taken internally as a tea, tincture or infused oil for a variety of health conditions. Externally, it was applied as a poultice or infused oil.

Some traditional uses of St John’s wort include:

• Treating wounds, burns, and skin injuries
• Relief of nerve pain and sciatica
• Treating anxiety, insomnia and depression
• Relief of muscle spasms and cramps
• Treating viral infections like shingles

Modern research has confirmed many of these traditional uses. Today, St John’s wort remains most popular as a natural remedy for depression and anxiety. When taken as a supplement, it has been found to be as effective as antidepressant medication in mild to moderate depression.

The Question of St John’s Wort Berries

With all the history and health benefits surrounding this plant, it’s natural to wonder about the berries it produces. Since many parts of the plant are used medicinally, are the berries also edible or medicinal?

Unfortunately, most sources advise against eating St John’s wort berries. The berries contain variable amounts of hypericin, one of the active compounds in the plant. While hypericin provides many health benefits when consumed in small amounts, it can cause side effects like gastrointestinal upset, anxiety, dizziness and confusion if too much is ingested at once.

Additionally, the fresh berries may contain unknown levels of hypericin, making it challenging to consume them safely. Drying or cooking the berries doesn’t necessarily reduce the hypericin content to safe levels for eating.

For these reasons, most herbalists and foraging experts recommend avoiding consumption of the berries. They may be beautiful and bountiful on the plant, but it’s better to stick with eating the flowers or using other parts of the plant for medicine making.

Safe Ways to Use St John’s Wort

If you come across St John’s wort in bloom, there are some safe ways to enjoy this special plant without eating the berries:

• Harvest the yellow flowers to use fresh or dried. They make a lovely addition to teas, tinctures, elixirs, and infused honey.

• Infuse the flowers in oil to make a healing balm for wounds, nerve pain, arthritis, and skin conditions like eczema.

• Brew a tea from the dried flowering tops for relaxation, mood support, and to aid sleep.

• Make a tincture with the fresh flowers for internal use as a nerve tonic and antidepressant.

• Craft an herbal vinegar using the aerial parts of the plant. It has a beautiful red color and can be added to salad dressings.

• Add the fresh flowers and leaves to fruit or green salads for a pop of color and flavor.

So while the berries of St John’s wort should be avoided, the plant offers many other ways to unlock its health benefits safely. With its long history, approved uses, and colorful flowers, it remains a valuable medicinal plant. Just be sure to save the berries for the birds and focus your harvest on the flower-topped branches.