Aaron's beard
Hypericum calycinum · Clusiaceae
Aaron's beard (Hypericum calycinum) is a perennial shrub in the Clusiaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 2 and warmer, down to about -43°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 0.8 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.5–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 2 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5.5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 2.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 0.8 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 130 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from container stock and sprigs. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated high. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Hypericum
- tinker's penny Hypericum anagalloides
- great St. Johnswort Hypericum ascyron
- northern St. Johnswort Hypericum boreale
- roundpod St. Johnswort Hypericum cistifolium
Similar role and hardiness
- prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida
- blue grama Bouteloua gracilis
- field horsetail Equisetum arvense
- woodland horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum
- sheep fescue Festuca ovina
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol HYCA10, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
Find more plants for your zone with the Plant Finder.