Goldflower (Hypericum kouytchense)

Also known as: large-flowered St. John's wort

Gold flower is a straggly shrub. It is a weed of disturbed shady, well drained places.

Profile

How does this weed affect you?

Goldflower is an environemental weed that grows in dense thickets especially in swampy and riparian areas. It outcompetes native plants.

What does it look like?

Goldflower is a spreading, woody, shrub that grows up to 1.5 m tall. It is multi-stemmed from the base.

Leaves are:

• green on top, grey-ish green underneath (some turn red in autumn)
• 2-6 cm long, 0.6-3 cm wide
• lance to oval shaped.

Flowers are:

• yellow with 5 petals
• 5.5 cm wide
• in clusters of 1-12
• on the end of stems
• present in summer.

Capsules are:

• reddish when immature
• woody and dry when mature
• oval to pyramid shaped
• 1.5-2.5 cm long and up to 1 cm wide.

Seeds are:

• cylindrical and winged on one side
• 2-3.2 mm long
• brown.

Stems:

• are reddish
• are soft
• If long they spread horizontally with the ends growing upwards.

Roots:

Goldflower has a tap root.

Where is it found?

Goldflower was planted as an ornamental garden plant and has naturalised in the Central and Southern Tablelands of NSW and also the Blue Mountains.

It is native to China.

Goldflower grows in cool, damp, shady places with well-drained soils. It is found in:

• forests
• swamps and riparian areas
• roadsides
• gardens.

References

Heenan, P.B. 2014: Hypericaceae. In: Breitwieser, I.; Brownsey, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Wilton, A.D. Flora of New Zealand - Seed Plants. Fascicle 1. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.

Missouri botanical garden: Hypericum kouytchense. Retrieved 20 March 2025 from:https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=279225&isprofile=0&

Richardson F.J., Richardson R.G. & Shepherd R.C.H. (2006).Weeds of the south-east an identification guide for Australia. (R.G. and F.J. Richardson, Melbourne).

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 20 March 2025 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hypericum~kouytchense

More information

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Control

If possible control plants before they produce fruit. Dispose of fruit or plants with fruit attached appropriately.

Hand weeding

Seedlings and small plants can be hand pulled or dug out. Remove all roots so the plant doesn’t regrow. This will be easier in damp or loose soil. A trowel or knife can be used to help loosen the soil before removal. 

Chemical control

Spray actively growing plants. Ensure that all of the foliage is covered with the herbicide mixture.

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 10 mL per 1 L water
Comments: Spot spray. For general weed control in domestic areas (home gardens), commercial, industrial and public service areas, agricultural buildings and other farm situations.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

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Reviewed 2021