FNPS Plant Database

Hypericum lissophloeus

smoothbark St. John's-wort
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

smoothbark St. John's-wort

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Hypericum lissophloeus

Family:

Clusiaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

6-10 ft tall by 2-3 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms May to frost.

Noted For:

Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Best used as a shoreline plant in the Sand Hill Lakes region of Bay and Washington counties. Treat as a thin, lacy background plant with shiny bark.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed in appropriate settings.

Light:

Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Stays wet -to- Usually moist, occasional inundation

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators

Attracts insect pollinators, especially bees.  

 Foliage and seeds are food source for birds and mammals.

Native Habitats:

Sandhill upland lake margins, sinks. Alsays open. Always sandy. Tolerant of dramatic water fluctuations.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Listed as Endangered in Florida.  Please follow all State requirements for growing and transporting this species.

Citations:

NatureServe. (2021). Conservation Profile: Hypericum lissophloeus. ( https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.136635/Hypericum_lissophloeus ). Accessed 2026.


Chafin, L. G. (2000). Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL.


Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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