Hypericum androsaemum

Semi-evergreen sub-shrub of the Hypericaceae family, native to Western and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, and Northern Africa. It frequents cool and shaded undergrowth, damp hedges, wooded banks, and stream edges, on humus-rich soils, often on calcareous or schistose substrate. In the mountains, it is found up to about 1,500 meters.

It forms a supple and arching bush 50 to 100 cm tall, with reddish stems bearing large oval-cordate, sessile leaves, a tender green in spring and summer.

In autumn, the entire foliage gradually turns bright red to deep purple, but the coloration remains uneven depending on exposure and climatic conditions: on the same branch, some leaves turn crimson while others still retain green patches, creating a particularly decorative variegated effect.

The flowers, yellow, with numerous radiating stamens, bloom from June to August in its natural habitat. They give way to fleshy berries, first red then black at maturity, which persist long on the plant and provide additional interest in autumn and winter.

In cultivation, it tolerates shade and partial shade, prefers a cool and well-drained soil, and is hardy and undemanding. It is perfectly suited to woodland gardens or naturalistic compositions.