Hyssop - A Modern and Decorative Herb

In short: Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is an aromatic perennial of the mint family that grows 45–120 cm tall in a sunny, well-drained spot. Sow seeds in March to April and plant seedlings 45 cm apart. Harvest flowering tops just before bloom and dry them at up to 35 °C. Use sparingly, as the taste is spicy and slightly bitter.

Hyssop (lat. Hyssopus officinalis) is primarily a herb and secondarily a spice. In the past, it was used to treat lepers, as well as for coughs and respiratory diseases. It has a spicy taste and aroma. In Arab countries, a drink called sherbet is prepared from the hyssop plant.

Its homeland is the eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia, where it grows wild in nature on waste ground, limestone rocks, steppes and in ditches. Hyssop is suitable for growing in herb gardens; during flowering it is very decorative, for example in rock gardens or perennial beds, and it can even be used to create a living hedge. For hedge cultivation, plant it at 20 cm spacing, regularly trim and shape it to encourage bushiness. It can also be grown in pots.

A few interesting facts about hyssop

Hyssop has been known since ancient times as a church herb. It was used for purifying churches and cleansing those sick with leprosy. The Bible mentions it in Psalm 51: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean." It is also mentioned in the New Testament, where before his death, Jesus had a sponge soaked in sour wine and vinegar placed on his lips, mounted on a hyssop reed. However, there are doubts whether the biblical references refer to today's known hyssop, or rather to a species of sage or oregano. Later, scientists discovered that traces of mold producing penicillin were found on hyssop leaves, which acted as protection for lepers.

In the 1st century, wine called hyssopites was made from hyssop, which was described in his work by the Roman scholar Pliny. In ancient times, Greeks used it to purify sacred places. The Greek physician Hippocrates also mentioned it in his work, recommending its use for coughs and bronchitis. Hyssop was brought to Europe by Benedictine monks who used it to flavour liqueurs. It is also mentioned by Mattioli in his herbal: "It is a garden herb, it has a number of shoots and branches about a foot and a half long, growing from bottom to top with beautiful, green, elongated and firm leaves, pleasant fragrance, peppery taste and slightly bitter."

In households, people hung it in small bundles in the house to protect their dwelling from thieves and evil spirits. As a sacred herb, hyssop was also used to consecrate Westminster Abbey.

The Latin name hyssop comes from the Greek word hyssopos, which translates as holy plant. Its folk names include izop, izopek, ižop, hysos, Iberian root, vízop, herb of last resort, monastery hyssop, or hyzop.

Creating a herb garden..

Hyssop (lat. Hyssopus officinalis) is an evergreen perennial subshrub that grows to a height of 45 - 120 cm. It belongs to the mint family (lat. Lamiaceae). The entire plant has a pleasant fragrance.

Hyssop thrives in a sunny location protected from wind and light, well-drained calcareous soil. It doesn't like waterlogged soil, so good drainage is extremely important.

We grow it from seeds, which we sow in a seedbed ideally during March - April. Young hyssop seedlings with three true leaves are planted in the bed at 45cm spacing during May - June. We can also sow hyssop seeds directly in the bed during April - July. It's advisable to grow it near cabbage, as it repels pests such as the cabbage white butterfly. It also has a beneficial effect on grapevines, which produce more abundantly thanks to hyssop.

Hyssop has a green square stem that branches upwards. It's covered with deep blue flowers forming spikes. We can see the flowers on hyssop from June to September. It produces brown-red triangular fruits - nutlets.

We harvest the herb and flowers (flowering tops) of hyssop just before flowering; the cuttings should be approximately 30cm long. We pick the dark green leaves as needed. Cut it back for the first time in spring and then after flowering. During the second harvest, the new shoots are the most valuable. The collected mixture can be dried, always at a maximum temperature of 35°C. The mixture dries very slowly. We store it in well-sealed containers in a dark place.

Hyssop heals the lungs and helps with coughing

Hyssop acts as an antiseptic and therefore we use it for inflammatory throat diseases, bronchial catarrh, chronic bronchial diseases, pneumonia, and it relieves coughing. It aids poor digestion, stimulates appetite, and stabilizes blood pressure. However, caution is needed when following any diet, as drinking hyssop tea makes us eat twice as much as we would normally eat!

Hyssop works similarly to sage for night sweats and illness-related sweating. We also add it to compresses for bedsores and various types of wounds. We can use it to treat insect bites. It has a strengthening effect on the health of elderly people and also acts as a mild laxative. However, it is not suitable for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Hyssop contains essential oil (which consists of pinene, camphene, pinocamphone), tannins, flavone glycosides, hesperidin, diosmin, hyssopin, and other substances. Fresh leaves contain up to 170mg of vitamin C per 100 grams!

• We prepare tea from it using 1-2 teaspoons of fresh or dried leaves, which we pour 250ml of boiling water over. We let it steep for 10 minutes and then strain the tea. We drink it fresh up to 3 times a day.

To release mucus and support expectoration, we can prepare hyssop syrup from hyssop. Add 30g of hyssop flowers to 250ml of boiling water and boil for half a minute. Let this prepared mixture infuse for 4 hours, then strain it and add 500g of honey. Cook the mixture over low heat until it reaches a syrup consistency. Store the hyssop syrup in the refrigerator in a well-sealed and dark container.

Hyssop leaves and flowers can be part of aromatic mixtures, as well as fresh and dried bouquets.

Hyssop in the Kitchen

• Hyssop has a spicy aroma and a slightly bitter taste. We use hyssop when preparing soups, sauces, legumes, fatty pork dishes, game, lamb, as well as fish. It forms part of various spice mixtures. It is a characteristic seasoning in French cuisine, where it flavors especially sauces and vegetable salads. It is aromatic, so we use it in small doses, with a maximum amount of 1 teaspoon per person.

• Hyssop is a noble honey plant and a very aromatic spice. It is a perennial suitable for growing in gardens and in pots. We grow it from seeds in a hotbed or from direct sowing in a flower bed. It blooms with beautiful blue-violet flowers, which is why it is very similar to summer savory.

• We use its medicinal properties to treat respiratory diseases, coughs, asthma, and respiratory catarrhs and urinary tract infections. In Japan, scientists have found that it should also have a positive effect on cancer diseases. In the kitchen, we use hyssop to flavor fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, we can flavor cottage cheese with it or prepare herbal butter. It is part of herbal liqueurs.