St. John's Wort belongs to the Clusiaceae family and can grow up to one metre tall. It has numerous bright yellow flowers, 2 cm in diameter occuring in flat-topped clusters. The flowers have 5 separate petals that are 2 times as long as the septal. The leaves are opposite, oval-shaped, with prominent veins, 1-3 cm. long and covered with transparent dots. The stems are erect, 2-sided, rust coloured, and have numerous branches (Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, and Fisheries, 2002). This plant is native to Europe but arrived in North America in the late 1700s and become an established weed in BC in the 1940s (White et al 1993).

Perennial forb

St. John's Wort invades grazed and disturbed lands along roadsides and grows in low to mid-elevations in coastal, grassland, and open forested regions. It can displace native plant species and reduce livestock and wildlife forage. (Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, and Fisheries, 2002). The plant contains a phototoxin which can cause skin irritation to livestock with light coloured skin when exposed to sunlight. It is generally not palatable to cattle (Majak et al 2008) St- John's Wort is also known to be a skin irritant for humans.

St. John's Wort reproduces by seed and vegetatively from the roots. The rhizome root system spreads laterally and is capable of forming new buds that separate from the parent. Each plant produces approximately 15,000- 30,000 seeds. The seeds have a gelatinous coat that allows long-distance dispersal and can remain viable in the soil for 6-10 years. (Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, and Fisheries, 2002).

St. John's Wort is not well established in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Region. Most infestations have been located in the Bella Coola area and Tweedsmuir Park; however, a few sites have been located in the Quesnel area.