This beautiful, yellow flower blooming in the hills, attracts attention. The yellow is actually a deep gold when the sun shines on it. The smooth stems are greenish-red and cylindrical. St. John's Wort is a shrubby plant about 1-2 m. tall - old plants are bushier and taller. The long oval leaves are oppositely arranged on the stem, and are dotted with red on a closer scrutiny. This striking flower grows at heights of 800-2500 m. in the western Himalayas. It is in flower from April to September, though the odd flower can be seen almost throughout the year. There are several varieties found all over the Himalayas. In Europe the flowers of H. perforatum come out on around the 24th of June, which is St. John's day and that is how the flower gets the name of the Common St. John's Wort. Here it is commonly known as Basant, because it is yellow. In Europe, in times gone by, people would gather the flower on St. John's eve and hang it on doors and windows as a safeguard against thunder and evil spirits. Some believed that on this night the soul had the power to leave the body and visit the spot from where it would be summoned on its last journey.