About this cultivar:
Hypericum x cyathiflorum 'Gold Cup' is a superb hardy, semi-evergreen shrub of compact bushy habit. We think it is great – flowers for ages and grows almost anywhere.
Not enough info?
The worlds foremost Hypericum expert Norman Robson, who has published more than 90 papers and flora accounts on Hypericum and has described more than 80 new species, has this to say:
“H. x cyathiflorum was apparently introduced to cultivation by Jackman's of Woking, Surrey, England, about 1952 as H. patulum 'Gold Cup'. The name was later (c. 1960) changed to H. hookerianum 'Gold Cup', probably on account of the terete mature branches; and I (Robson, 1970), on account of its acute to subacute sepals and buds, placed it under H. beanii. The source of Jackman's material has not been located. It may be significant, however, that this plant is grown at Hidcote Manor, Gloucestershire, under the name 'Lawrence Johnston', after the late owner of Hidcote Manor and maker of its garden. A chance seedling originating there might well have been thus named. The chromosome number (2n = 30) suggests that it is a triploid on the base x = 10, and its relatively poor fruiting would tend to support this hypothesis (see also. H. 'Hidcote'). I have not seen any wild-collected material of this plant, which is strikingly intermediate between H. addingtonii and H. hookerianum. It is therefore very likely that it arose in cultivation in western Europe, probably in Britain after the introduction of H. addingtonii by Forrest (?). As other hybrids between H. addingtonii and H. hookerianum may be (or may have been) produced, I proposed that the plant described above to be known as H. x cyathiflorum 'Gold Cup'."
He also says it grow to 1.5m tall. Which we agree with! I see this is often sold as growing to 0.5m tall. Not true!
- Position: Full sun, partial shade
- Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
- Flowers: July, August, September, October
- Other features: Grows well in Ballyrobert
- Hardiness: Fully hardy - grows well in Ballyrobert! H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10°C)
- Habit: Clump forming, bushy
- Foliage: Semi evergreen
- Height: 90 - 150 cm (3 - 5 ft)
- Spread: 90 - 150 cm (3 - 5 ft)
- Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
- Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial, shrub
- Colour: Green, yellow
- Goes well with: -
About this genus:
Hypericum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. The genus name comes from the Greek words ‘hyper’ meaning above and ‘eikon’ meaning picture in reference to the practice of hanging flowers from this genus above images, pictures, windows or heaths to ward of evil spirits. They were also gathered and burned to ward off evil spirits on the eve of St. John's Day, thus giving rise to the genus common name of St. John's wort. These days it is an economically important medicinal crop plant with demonstrated anti-viral, anti-depressive and anti-cancer properties.
It is one of the 100 largest genera of flowering plants- there are over 490 species described and it is difficult to generalise! Hypericum vary from herbaceous annual or perennials 5 cm tall to shrubs and small trees up to 12 m tall and have a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar regions. A wide net indeed.
If you don’t have a DNA sample handy you can try and identify them by the opposite, simple oval, either deciduous or evergreen leaves or pale to dark yellow, 0.5–6 cm diameter, five petalled flowers. The fruit is usually a dry capsule which splits to release the numerous small seeds.
What does this mean for the gardener? Well… since it is hard to generalise – I won’t! See each plant on a case by case basis!