Hyssop
495 in stock
Quick Overview
Hyssop – Hyssopus officinalis
FULL SUN Native to Europe and Asia, Hyssop has been cultivated since the 600s. Brought to the US in the 1700s, the herb has been used as a cleansing agent and an ingredient in certain liqueurs. The 2-3 ft. hardy plants are used to ease sore throats. Plant as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. Rows should be 12 in. apart. When seedlings are 2 in. high, thin, leaving 12 in. between plants. Harvest throughout the season by cutting leaves off the plants.
| Type | Spacing | Planting Depth | Days to Germination | Maturity |
| Perennial | 12 in. | 1/2 in. | 14-21 | 75 |
Hyssop
Hyssop, a member of the Mint Family, is known for having a strong medicinal fragrance that suggests it is an appropriate herb for cleansing or disinfecting applications and venues. It was strewn on the floors of sickrooms and kitchens to clean the air for centuries.
Unlike many herbs, Hyssop is a really pretty plant that is covered in thin spires of vivid blue. The Elizabethans used it as a border plant in their knot gardens because of its diminutive size and the blue spires. They also used it because, unlike most mints, it is not as aggressive. In the cottage gardens of the late 19th century, hyssop combines well with dill and anise, and in rose gardens it is a lovely interplant.
Hyssop’s real value in the garden comes because it is an outstanding pollinator plant. Bees love this plant as do butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is so attractive to bees that beekeepers have been known to rub down their hives with a mixture of hyssop, juniper, fennel and thyme to keep the bees close to home.
