Wort is an old English term that means plant.
The red spots on the leaves of the plant are symbolic of the blood of St. John after his beheading. St. John s Wort has not been well known in the United States until recently. Studies on the medicine have been going on for decades in Europe. German doctors have been prescribing it and the insurance companies have been paying for it. It is available in many health shops in the United States and all across Europe but recently it has been selling out because of its increased popularity.