Common St. Paul’s Wort: What Every Gardener Should Know About This Asian Annual
If you’ve spotted small yellow flowers popping up uninvited in your garden or along roadsides, you might have encountered common St. Paul’s wort (Sigesbeckia orientalis). Also known as small yellow crownbeard, this little annual has quite the traveling spirit – it’s made its way from Asia to gardens and wild spaces across parts of the United States.
What Is Common St. Paul’s Wort?
Common St. Paul’s wort is a non-native annual forb that originally hails from eastern Asia. As a forb, it’s essentially an herbaceous flowering plant without woody stems – think of it as nature’s version of a temporary visitor that completes its entire life cycle in one growing season.
This plant has established itself in several U.S. locations, reproducing on its own in Hawaii, Illinois, and Massachusetts. While it’s not native to North America, it has shown a remarkable ability to settle in and make itself at home in our landscapes.
Identifying Common St. Paul’s Wort
Spotting this plant is fairly straightforward once you know what to look for:
- Small, yellow composite flowers that aren’t particularly showy
- Annual growth habit – it completes its life cycle in one year
- Herbaceous stems without woody tissue
- Tendency to grow in disturbed soils and waste areas
Should You Plant Common St. Paul’s Wort?
Here’s where we need to have an honest conversation. While common St. Paul’s wort isn’t classified as officially invasive, it’s generally considered more of a weedy plant than an ornamental garden star. Most gardeners wouldn’t choose to plant it intentionally, and here’s why:
- Limited aesthetic appeal compared to native alternatives
- Weedy growth habit that can look unkempt
- Tendency to self-seed and spread in disturbed areas
- No significant wildlife or pollinator benefits compared to native plants
Growing Conditions and Care
If you do encounter this plant in your landscape, it typically thrives in:
- Disturbed soils and waste areas
- Roadsides and path edges
- Areas with adequate moisture
- USDA hardiness zones 8-11
Since it’s an annual, individual plants will complete their life cycle within one growing season, though they may self-seed for the following year.
Native Alternatives to Consider
Instead of common St. Paul’s wort, consider these native alternatives that offer better ecological value and garden appeal:
- Native sunflowers for yellow blooms and pollinator support
- Local wildflowers that provide habitat for native wildlife
- Regional native annuals that complete similar ecological roles
The Bottom Line
Common St. Paul’s wort is one of those plants that’s more likely to find you than the other way around. While it’s not necessarily harmful, it doesn’t offer the ecological benefits or garden beauty that native plants provide. If you’re planning your garden, you’ll likely find much better options among plants native to your region.
If it shows up uninvited in your landscape, you can simply remove it during your regular garden maintenance, or let it be if it’s not bothering anything – just remember that it may self-seed for next year’s growing season.
