St Johns Wort Flower Tincture for the Winter Blues

I first met St. Johns wort in 1997, when I fired my psychiatrist. St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), is a plant that grows in the wild and has been used for centuries for mental health conditions. It’s widely prescribed for depression in Europe.

I was diagnosed with severe postpartum depression in 1989, after 3 pregnancy losses. Eight years later, I had already had 3 rounds of electric shock therapy, but it only made me feel worse.  My young daughter was just 3 years old, and my body had started breaking down from the chemical storm the doctors wanted me to take for my “disorder”.  At just 92 pounds there was nothing the doctors had to offer me, but more shock therapy.  My body had quit digesting food.  My gut was so inflamed from the prescription drugs, they thought I had celiac disease. The drugs never worked. That was my “rock bottom”.

But then I met St Johns Wort.

It became my Knight in Shining Armor, My Batman and after using it, I’ve never been back to the psychiatrist office. I was able to quit all the chemicals the doctors had me on and with the support of a new doctor, start a path of natural healing.

Once the days turn dark by 4 pm and snow is on the ground for days on end, many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.). It is a real struggle here in the north.

You can think of St Johns wort flower tincture as the herb for S.A.D. or mild to medium depression. Scientists have discovered that it acts like an M.A.O inhibitor to elevate the levels of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme called monoamine oxidase, that carries these neurotransmitters away once they are used up.  By stopping this action there are more neurotransmitters to signal in the brain.  With an increase in neurotransmitters, the brain is able to work more efficiently and mood elevates. 

Years ago, as a novice herbalist, I experienced this healing virtue from St. Johns Wort. In a few weeks, I was off all sedatives, tranquilizers, antacids, sleeping pills, and pain killers. And, the best part is that after that first winter using St. Johns Wort tincture, I never needed it over an extended period of time again. Now, I take it periodically to help with insomnia, sciatica, or neck pain.

When to harvest St. Johns Wort

The flowers open in mid-June through mid-July, depending on your elevation and the degree of heat you experience at that time of year.  Here in the BC mountains, we can harvest St. Johns wort flowers from mid-July to the end of the month, and never earlier than July 10th. The five-petaled flowers are numerous, growing on the top of the stalk.

I pick them by using my fingers like a fork, running them up the stalk, through the clusters of flowers. This causes the flowers to fall into my upturned palm.  Picking the flowers will stain your fingers a deep purple. But the color washes off with soap.

St. Johns Wort, like Bidens, needs to be tinctured fresh because the active ingredient dissipates quickly once the plant is picked.  While still useful, the dried plant has less active ingredient left than the fresh blossoms.

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How to make St. Johns wort flower tincture

To make your own St. Johns Wort tincture, gather 6 cups of St. Johns Wort blossoms when the blossoms are open but before they fade.  It’s best to pick them in the morning after the dew has dried but before the sun touches the plants.

Only the St. Johns wort flowers and flower buds are used to make St. Johns wort flower tincture. The flowers should be used fresh, if possible, for the most potent herbal remedy. Wilt them for 4 hours, then put them in a mason jar and pour 40% alcohol over them for a tincture.

1. Place the St. Johns Wort blossoms in a mason jar and press down to get as many blossoms in the jar as you can, leaving 2-inch headspace.
2. Fill the jar with vodka.
3. Use a knife to press out any air bubbles and top off the jar to within 1 inch of the rim. (You’ll need about 750 ml/24 fl. ounces of vodka to fill a 1 litre/1 quart jar)
4. Cap the jar tightly. Place it in a warm place, which encourages the plants to release their goodness. A sunny kitchen window is perfect. 
5. Shake the jar of St. Johns Wort tincture whenever you think of it.

Allow this mixture to macerate in the jar in your warm, sunny window for 30 to 45 days. Shake as often as you think of it. (This is one time when the admonition to place in a cool, dry place, should be ignored. You’ll find that more medicinal benefit is extracted when St. Johns wort tincture is infused in sunlight).

The vodka will turn ruby red within a few minutes of contact with the flowers. This is the hypericum (there are actually several hypericums in St. Johns Wort) and is considered the active ingredient in St Johns Wort Flower Tincture, although herbalists believe that the whole plant acts in synergy to create the beneficial healing effects.

After 30 to 45 days, strain out the blossoms and reserve the liquid. Squeeze the flowers as much as possible to retain as much of the liquid as you can. Re-bottle the tincture into sanitized bottles. Label and date. Store in a cool, dark place, it will keep for many years.

Dosage for St John’s Work Flower Tincture:

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to 3 times a day for pain relief.
• 1 teaspoon at bedtime for relief of S.A.D. Note if this makes you drowsy and adjust up or down the dosage accordingly.

Other Uses for St John’s Wort 

St. Johns wort infused oil is also excellent as a carrier oil for salves along with calendula, plantain, comfrey, or any of the other skin-supporting herbs. I use it in my herbal first aid salve. It’s the one my Daughter in Law calls, “The magic sauce“.  We always keep some stocked at all times of the year.