St. John’s Wort Sunny Boulevard – A Bright and Cheery Summer Flower

For gardens that need a burst of cheerful color during the hot summer months, St. John’s Wort Sunny Boulevard is an ideal choice This hardy, easy-to-grow shrub produces an abundance of bright yellow blooms right when many other perennials start to fade in summer’s heat Sunny Boulevard St. John’s Wort brings a sunny disposition to borders, beds, and containers with its long bloom time and vivid floral display.

An Overview of St. John’s Wort Sunny Boulevard

Sunny Boulevard is a compact deciduous shrub in the Hypericum family. It was bred by Proven Winners as an improvement over other St. John’s Wort varieties. Some key features that set Sunny Boulevard apart include

• Abundant blooms – The shrub is smothered in small, star-shaped yellow flowers from early to late summer. It has one of the longest bloom times of any St. John’s Wort.

• Tight, mounded form – The shrub grows in a tidy, dense mound shape up to 3 feet tall and wide. It has good branching and doesn’t get leggy.

• Good hardiness – Sunny Boulevard thrives in USDA zones 4-8, surviving winters even in colder climates.

• Drought tolerance – Once established, the shrub is quite drought tolerant and doesn’t require frequent watering.

• Deer resistance – St. John’s Wort deters browsing deer, making Sunny Boulevard a good option for gardens plagued by deer.

• Maintenance ease – Sunny Boulevard needs little care beyond occasional pruning. It resists common diseases.

Growing Conditions for Sunny Boulevard

St. John’s Wort performs best in full sun locations. It tolerates partial shade but may bloom less prolifically. Well-drained soil is ideal as the shrub dislikes sitting in wet ground. Average soils are fine as long as they drain well after rain or watering. The plants tolerate short periods of drought once their root systems are established.

While St. John’s Wort adapts to a range of climates, Sunny Boulevard particularly suits hot summer regions. The flowers tolerate heat while providing color when many other perennials fade. Breeders trialed Sunny Boulevard in the intense heat of California’s Central Valley where it thrived. For colder climates, mulch the base in winter to insulate roots.

How to Use Sunny Boulevard in the Landscape

There are many possibilities for incorporating Sunny Boulevard into garden beds, borders, and containers:

• Mass plantings – Group multiples together for a bold splash of summer color. Space plants 2-3 feet apart.

• Mixed beds – Combine with daylilies, coneflowers, and grasses that also thrive in summer. The yellow flowers will pop.

• Foundation plantings – Locate near house entries where the cheery blooms will be noticed. Keep 18-24 inches from foundations.

• Hedges or screens – Plant in a line to form an informal flowering hedge. Prune minimally to maintain shape.

• Borders – Use along walkways, fences, and garden edges. Keeps neat form without trimming.

• Containers – Grows well in pots and window boxes. Makes an excellent flowering thriller with shorter plants under it.

Caring for Sunny Boulevard Plants

St. John’s Wort Sunny Boulevard is one of the lowest maintenance flowering shrubs. It thrives with minimal care. Follow these tips for healthy plants:

• Water regularly until roots establish the first season. Then only water occasionally during drought.

• Apply a balanced fertilizer for shrubs in early spring to support the abundant blooms.

• Prune immediately after flowering ceases by removing oldest branches at base to control size and shape.

• Watch for leaf spots and powdery mildew, treating any outbreaks quickly. Maintain good air circulation.

• Mulch plants to keep roots cool in summer and insulated in winter. Avoid wet mulch touching stems.

• Divide large clumps every 3-4 years in spring if centers die out. Replant divisions to refresh.

• Deer or rabbits may browse foliage if hungry. Use deterrents before damage gets severe.

Why Grow St. John’s Wort Sunny Boulevard

Here are some top reasons to consider adding this popular Proven Winners shrub to your landscape:

• Provides weeks of glowing golden color right when gardens need it most in summer.

• The dense, mounded form fits easily into garden beds and borders without much trimming.

• Tolerates heat, humidity, drought, and deer better than many flowering shrubs.

• Needs very little maintenance compared to other high impact color plants.

• Works well in a variety of climates and soil types beyond its hardiness zones.

• Looks fabulous combined with grasses, coneflowers, rudbeckia, and other prairie planting favorites.

• Attracts pollinators like bees to the nectar-rich flowers during peak pollinator activity periods.

• Provides winter interest from reddish stems and dried seed pods mixed with evergreens.

Alternate Varieties of St. John’s Wort

While Sunny Boulevard stands out as an exceptional selection, gardeners in certain regions may look for other St. John’s Wort varieties better suited to their climate or site conditions:

• Miss Ruby – A more compact 18″ tall variety with red stems and deep golden blooms. Zone 5-8.

• Firecracker – Has red leaves that contrast brightly with yellow flowers. Gets only 18″ tall. Zone 5-9.

• Sunburst – Grows 3-4 feet tall with foliage variegated in yellow, green, and pink for extra color. Zone 4-8.

• Golden Essence – Extremely long blooming and more spreading to 2-3 feet wide. Zone 4-7.

• Lemon Queen – Lime-yellow foliage with lighter lemon colored blooms. Very compact at 1 foot tall. Zone 5-9.

No matter which variety gardeners choose, St. John’s Wort promises to light up the landscape with its summer appeal. The Sunny Boulevard shrub enlivens gardens with abundant golden blooms right when color is most desired. It serves as an easy care, deer resistant gem for beds, borders, and containers alike.

Bring Some Sunshine Home

Now that you know all about the bright blooming and carefree nature of St. John’s Wort Sunny Boulevard, it may be time to add some to your own garden. Check for availability online or at local garden retailers. A few plants will add sparkle to your beds and borders all summer long. Just be sure to leave space for this shrub’s energetic growth habit. With Sunny Boulevard, it’s always sunny – even on hot summer days when little else is flowering.