Hyssop Seeds - Hyssopus Officinalis

The names hyssop and Hyssopus come from a Semitic word for a different herb. Officinalis means “from the storeroom”, that is, the druggist’s storeroom. Although H. officinalis has no alternate common names, several other plant genera have members that bear the common name hyssop. Among these are Agastache (anise and giant hyssops), Bacopa (water hyssop), Gratiola (hedge hyssop), and Verbena (wild hyssop).

Using Hyssop

Hyssop has been used medicinally for centuries to treat a whole gamut of ailments, from falling sickness (epilepsy) to snakebite. The herb’s medicinal odor probably prompted its use in bouquets to ward off plagues. Gerard recommended gargling a decoction of hyssop and figs for a sore throat and noted, “The same made with figges, water, honie, and rue, and drunken, helpeth the inflammation of the lungs, the old cough, and shortnesse of breath, and the obstructions or stopping of the breast.” Furthermore, a mixture of hyssop, vinegar, and figs might be taken to expel worms.

Other herbalists mentioned using oil preparations of hyssop to kill lice and treat numb joints. Directing the steam from a decoction of hyssop into the ears was said to remedy inflammation or ringing of the ears. Diseased poultry were subjected to the smoke of dried hyssop.

Modern practitioners of herbal medicine prescribe hyssop teas for respiratory illnesses to loosen phlegm, to induce sweating, relieve intestinal gas, and combat rheumatism; the green tops boiled in soup have been used in the treatment of asthma. Infusions and poultices of bruised hyssop tops have been used externally to relieve muscular aches and black-and-blue marks. Research has confirmed that hyssop is soothing to mucous membranes and that the bitter principle in the volatile oil, marrubiin (also present in horehound), has expectorant qualities. Hyssop extracts have shown antiviral activity, especially against herpes simplex, the causative agent of cold sores and genital herpes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has put hyssop in its GRAS (generally regarded as safe) category.

Hyssop had more culinary uses in days gone by than it does today. Medieval monks made soups and sauces with it. Its peppery, bitter flavor disguised spoiled meats, and it was thought to aid the digestion of fat. Try small quantities of the chopped fresh leaves or flowers in broths or sprinkled in salad. Hyssop honey, by contrast, is sweet-smelling and delicious; it is said to retain the antiflatulent properties of the herb. The Romans made an herbal wine of hyssop. Today, the oil is used in liqueurs and is an important constituent of Chartreuse and Benedictine.

The oil is also used in perfumery. In the Middle Ages, hyssop tops were strewn on floors to mask bad smells. These days, our housekeeping habits have improved, but we can add the dried leaves with their clean aroma to potpourri, sachets for the linen closet, and laundry rinse water.

Growing Hyssop

In Herbs and the Earth (1935), Henry Beston says of hyssop, “The garden has no more quietly dependable and satisfactory border plant.” His is no idle claim. Hyssop is versatile. It can be grown as a hedge or as a specimen plant. Plant it against a wall or as edging with rue in front, vervain (Verbena officinalis) behind. Contrasting foliage color, shape, and texture make purple sage a superb companion, or try gray, pebbly-leaved catmint, frosty lavender, and glossy-leaved rosemary. The gray filigree of Roman wormwood also admirably sets off the blue flowers and smooth green leaves of hyssop. Tall, wispy-leaved herbs such as dill, fennel, and anise form another kind of contrast. Hyssop is also useful for concealing the bare legs of pink- or white-flowered roses.

Hyssop is easily grown from seeds sown in March or April, or in the fall for germination the following spring. Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep indoors or out. Germination time is 7 to 10 days. Propagate named cultivars vegetatively. Divide established plants in spring or fall, or take cuttings in spring and root them indoors or in the shade. Hyssop may self-seed. You can move the volunteer seedlings to another spot in the garden or pot them up. Beston notes that hyssop “can be transplanted as casually as one moves a chair.” Transplant seedlings or rooted cuttings to 1 foot apart for a hedge, 18 inches apart in the garden, and water them until they are established. But don’t overwater. Like other Mediterranean herbs, hyssop likes a warm position and light, well-drained alkaline soil. It will tolerate soil as alkaline as pH 8. Full sun is best, but light shade will do. Plants grown in shade will be lankier. Hyssop will flower the first year from seed. It is a good subject for pots or or a window box.

Hyssop needs no winter covering. Prune it hard in spring to encourage new growth. Pinching out the tips of the stems will promote bushier plants; however, heavy shearing of hedges will prevent flowering.

Old-Time Hyssop Tea

Infuse 1/4 ounce of dried hyssop flowers in a pint of boiling water for ten minutes and sweeten with honey—good for “debility of the chest” and “a powerful vermifuge”.

Electuary

Boil honey with hyssop, strain, reboil with aniseed, pepper, ginger, and pulverized roots of licorice, angelica, and elecampane—good for “straightness at the stomach or shortness of breath”.