St. John's Wort
This plant is native to Europe but has been naturalized in most of the northern hemisphere. The name refers to the fact that it flowers around the feast of Saint John on June 24th which is also close to the summer solstice. A plant that is common to waste areas, roadsides, and fields it has a rich and colorful tradition of usage dating back to ancient Greece. Gaius Plinius Secundas (Pliny the Elder) wrote about this plant in his 37 volume Natural History which served as the basis of scientific knowledge for centuries. In Greek it is called hypericon (above the icon) referring to its power “over the image” and this idea was furthered through the years. The European peasants thought the plant protected them from evil spirits, witches, demons and lightning.