Hyssop

About Hyssop

Hyssop is a short-lived, shrubby herb from Europe and Asia with narrow, aromatic leaves and spikes of blue-purple flowers (pink and white forms exist). It blooms from summer into fall and is a favorite of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It is not the same plant as anise hyssop (Agastache).

NC State lists hyssop as hardy in zones 4-9.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Sow seed in spring, or start new plants from divisions or stem cuttings (MU Extension). Plants grow about 1.5-2 feet tall and up to 1.5 feet wide (NC State). Cut plants back in spring to keep them bushy (MU Extension).

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy or rocky soil that can run dry; it prefers neutral to alkaline soil (NC State).

Choose a sunny, well-drained spot; herbs grow best at a pH of about 6.0-7.5 and in soil that is not overly fertile. Working in about 4 inches of compost improves soil structure. Follow a soil test.

Feeding

• once per growing season, in spring as new growth starts: complete fertilizer such as 5-10-5. Scatter about 3 oz per 10 feet of row beside the plants and water it in; that single feeding is enough for garden herbs.

Avoid heavy clay, soggy soil and overly fertile sites; most herbs do not need rich soil.

Harvest

Pick the youngest leaves and shoot tips as you need them, and pick flowers when they open (MU Extension, NC State).

Pick the youngest leaves as you need them through the season; perennial herbs like this can be cut back by about half their height and will regrow.

Varieties (3)

Hyssop is mostly sold by flower color. NC State and the Royal Horticultural Society describe only 3 named forms: white, pink, and the dwarf rock hyssop.

In the kitchen

Young leaves and shoot tips are eaten raw in salads or used to flavor soups and stews, and the flowers are edible, with a taste like tonic water (NC State, UMN). Its oil flavors liqueurs, and the FDA lists hyssop as a generally recognized as safe flavoring.

Keeping it: Pick young leaves and shoot tips as you need them; dry extras for later.

Safety: Use the leaves and flowers only in food amounts. Hyssop essential oil is a known seizure trigger in medical reports, so never swallow the oil (Burkhard et al., 1999; Millet et al., 1981).

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA