Hypericum patulum aka Hypericum

Hypericum patulum is a shrub in the Hypericaceae family. Gardeners know it as spreading St John's wort or goldencup St John's wort. It comes from Sichuan and northern Guizhou in China. It grows in a temperate climate. Habitat records include shaded ravines, sometimes with plants on rocks. Plants For A Future also lists open hillsides in the Himalayas.

This shrub forms a dense, rounded shape with spreading branches. In gardens, it reaches about 3.3–4.9 feet [1–1.5 metres] tall and wide. The RHS also describes plants around 3.9 feet [1.2 metres] tall. It takes five to ten years to reach full size. The leaves are dark green and reach about 0.2 feet [0.06 metres] long. Plants may keep all their leaves or lose some in winter. Its leafy, spreading form suits hedges and screens.

The flowers are golden yellow and shaped like small cups. They grow in groups of up to fifteen blooms. Flowering runs from summer into the start of autumn. This gives the shrub a long season of colour. The RHS warns that its fruit is for display, not food. This warning applies to both people and pets. Wear gloves and other protective gear when handling the plant.

Give it sun or some shade in a sheltered spot. It grows in chalk, clay, loam, or sandy soil. It accepts acid, neutral, and alkaline conditions. Soil should have moderate fertility and let excess water drain. Moist soil suits it, provided it does not stay waterlogged. The RHS gives it a UK hardiness rating of H4. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 6–7. Take softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in summer to raise new plants.

Use this shrub in beds, borders, hedges, or woodland edges. The RHS also lists coastal, courtyard, and informal garden settings. Pests cause few problems, though rust can occur. Honey fungus is another possible problem, but the RHS calls it rare. Plants For A Future reports no known food uses. It records aromatic seeds with a traditional stimulant use. That record does not make the seeds a food. The same source describes the wood as fine-grained and fairly hard.