Toadflax-leaved St. John's-wort (Hypericum linariifolium)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vascular plant > flowering plant > Herbaceous plant |
| Red List Status: | Near Threatened (Not Relevant) [NT(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Hypericum linariifolium |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Vahl |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | in Stroh et al., 2014 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | NT in GB, VU in England. Whilst still very locally frequent, in the Teign Valley in Devon, since 1990 only found in five additional English sites, all with small populations |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Largely confined to rock outcrops on in wooded rocky valleys / railway cuttings or on the coast. All sites very vulnerable to succession, & realistically its survival is conservation-dependent |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Reinstatement of traditional coppicing practices within the Teign valley woodlands (Devon) or programme of scrub clearance - particularly in areas with outcrops & gorse-heather communities likely to benefit species |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Combination - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Responds very well to management, germinating freely from seed bank & colonisation from nearby plants. Tends to display pulses of regeneration immediately following coppicing & gorse clearance, but declining markedly as vegetation succeeds. All sites well surveyed in c. 2000-2010, but in need of further nationwide survey in coming years. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Monitor all populations, recording demographic data (e.g. flowering vs. non-flowering plants), habitat condition and response to management practices. Review management regimes in light of evidence.
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites: Froward Point SSSI. Slapton Ley SSSI. Sladebridge railway cutting (Cornwall). Holne Woodlands SSSI. Teign Valley (incl. Teign Valley Woodlands SSSI)
Comments: Nationwide surveys undertaken in 1985, 1989 1994 &1996. Now nearly 20 years since last major survey: many additional sites in conservation ownership, but assessment of state of H. linariifolium still needed.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Develop & implement targeted management plans for localities outside the national stronghold within the upper Teign Valley (i.e Sladebridge, Strete Cliffs, Froward Point, Ausewell Wood, Netton Cleave/Hyner Rocks etc), including periodic clearance of scrub & gorse
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Froward Point SSSI. Slapton Ley SSSI. Sladebridge railway cutting (Cornwall). Holne Woodlands SSSI. Middle Teign Valley (e.g. Hyner Rocks)
Comments: Recent work (2021-2023) at Hyner Rocks (Devon) restoring oak coppice & clearing scrub (gorse etc) has resulted in very significant increase in H. linariifolium at this location. It is clear from this work that the species germinates from seed in the soil seed bank. Such works should be carried out at other vulnerable locations.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Implement at a landscape scale (e.g. within the Teign Valley woods), guidance for open habitat maintenance within forestry to reflect the need to promote open grassland, heathland & other habitats.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Advice & support
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Teign Valley woods. Holne Woodlands SSSI
Comments: In key woodland areas, sustainable populations of H. linariifolium could be delivered through active coppicing & maintenance of open, rocky / heathy habitat as part of a wider management plan for these sites
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.