#tutsan

[drhoz]

#3754 - Hypericum androsaemum - Tutsan

AKA shrubby St. John's wort or sweet-amber, and repeatedly placed in it's own genus Androsaemum, and redescribed as multiple species in both. Hypericum derives from the Greek for "above pictures" refers to the practice of hanging the flower above icons to ward off evil spirits. Androsaemum comes from the Greek for "man's blood" as used to describe plants with red sap. Tutsan derives from the French phrase tout-saine, 'heal-all', in reference to the plant's alleged medicinal properties. Sweet-amber refers to the ambergris-like aroma when the red oil glands on the leaves are crushed

Native to Western Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and a weed everywhere else where it was grown as an ornamental. The seed and leaf-tip eating moth Lathronympha strigana and the leaf-feeding beetle Chrysolina abchasica show promise as biological control agents.

Uniquely for the genus, Tutsan berries stay fleshy and turn black when ripe.

Woodhaugh Gardens, Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand

[dansnaturepictures]

Young Starling in the garden and tutsan, Hairy Dragonfly and view at Titchfield Haven 18/05/2025

To complete an incredible weekend of wonderful wildlife watching at great locations throughout the days including a lot seen for the first time this year and a lot of species I photographed which I never had before I was thrilled to see the rare Hudsonian Godwit at Titchfield Haven my first ever. Eider, Speckled Wood, Four-spotted Chaser, Ruby-tailed Wasp and foxgloves were other highlights today.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 10 September 2019

Along the edges of the forest tracks of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, the small deciduous shrub Hypericum androsaemum (tutsan, shrubby St. John’s wort, sweet-amber) can be found flowering. This is a native to open woods and hillsides, and frequents woodland edges in sheltered places, generally at low altitudes. The yellow flowers appear above paired oval leaves and are followed by long-lasting, berry-like fruits that mature from red to black.

Jill Raggett

[happyzenmonk]

Tutsan

photo by Tibor Lengyel

[wildfloweroftheday]

31 July 2019

Tutsan - Hypericum androsaemum

A native, though more common in the west I believe. Growing here on Ardingly sandstone outcrop.

[regnum-plantae]

Hypericum androsaemum, Hypericaceae

This species of Hypericum, native to Eurasia and introduced to North America, Australia and New Zealand as an ornamental plant, is known as sweet amber, but also with a much more foretelling name, tutsan. If you speak a Romance language you might have already guessed, but as a corruption of northern French, this means ‘all-healthy’. Traditionally, it was valued for its vulnerary and antiseptic properties and the bruised or poulticed leaves were applied to cuts and wounds in the same way as those of hedge woundwort, or turned into less perishable ointments. A tea made with the dried, fragrant leaves has traditionally been used -and can even be purchased online- as a diuretic, bland sedative, and to treat bladder and kidney inflammation. Don’t eat the berries, which are black when fully ripe, as they are toxic. 

As a garden plant it does well in moist, well-drained soil in semi-shade, but take in consideration its clumping habit and its tendency to spread: it is self-fertile and self-sows easily, it can be hard to eradicate once established.  

[scotszoologist]

Tutsan berries (Hypericum androsaemum) 

[wildcomposition]

Bright yellow petals and glossy green leaves make Tutsan one of those plants that quietly stands out once you notice it. This close-up captures the flower alongside its developing berries, revealing the intricate details hidden within a common garden shrub.