Researchers compared the effects of the plant hypericum perforatum - popularly known as St John’s Wort - with placebos or a wide range of old and new anti-depressants, including those from the new generation of SSRI drugs, such as Prozac and Seroxat.

‘Overall, the St John’s Wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebo, similarly effective as standard anti-depressants, and had fewer side effects than standard anti-depressants,’ he said.

Now I know what I want to plant in the front flower bed. The way things are going with the economy, I suspect having a free and legal anti-depressant growing in my front yard may be a good thing to have. Additionally, it’s native to Texas, so it fits in nicely with my desire to only use native plants.