about growing St. johns wort

I am interested in utilizing this plant for a variety of reasons. what first drew me to it was that it is supposed to tolerate shade and make an excellent ground cover once established. I have an area that is difficult to plan for and doesn't have great conditions.nd I hate seeing bare ground anywhere. Its an area that won't take priority as far as soil improvement goes so I am looking for things that will simply tolerate the conditions that are there, rocky/silty/minimal sun exposure.

i know it is a common herbal supplement but I have no experience with its use.

anyone have success growing it? what do you know?

Grows wild around here, and it does seem to enjoy dappled shade rather than full sun.  Does well with no irrigation, we have pretty silty soil with lots of rocks in it, but there's also lots of organic matter.  Maybe mulch the area with some green manure (and manure) to establish it?  I see it growing near the edge of forests frequently.  Gorgeous yellow flowers, probably a good nectar source. 

I was just reading in Micheal Moore's "medicinal herbs of the mountain west" that this one is much more effective as an alcohol tincture than a tea, for treating depression and the like.  Don't know if you need it for that, but might be good to keep in mind.  I see it sold as a tea all over.