Hyssop Herb

You'll love growing hyssop herb for its blue spires of bloom, but try snipping just a little onto greasy food. It aids in the digestion of fats while adding a strong minty flavor.

Hyssop can be traced back to before the days of Jesus.

The book of Exodus records that the blood of the sacrifices was applied to the doorposts at Passover using the hyssop plant.

I the New Testament, a sponge soaked in sour wine or vinegar was stuck on a branch of hyssop and offered to Jesus on the cross just before he died.

Hyssop can also be used to make beautiful homemade flower arrangements and crafts.

Description

Hyssop can grow 1 to 3 feet tall in zones 4 to 9.

Flowers: The whorls of tiny purple or blue tunular flowers form on tall spikes in midsummer to early fall.

Leaves: Hyssop's slender, pointed leaves are smooth and opposite.

Flavor and fragrance: Hyssop has a strong minty flavor that can become bitter if too much of it used at one time.

How To Grow

When to plant: Plant the seeds a week or two before your last spring frost date. Take the cuttings in late spring or early fall and make root divisions in early spring or late summer.

Where to plant: Hyssop prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade.

Soil and fertility: Plant in well-drained sandy soils of moderate fertility. Let the top inch of the soil dry between waterings.

Plant spacing: Space the plants about 12 inches apart.

Pests: Rarely bothered by pests

Diseases: Susceptible to root rot in soggy soils

Harvesting

When to harvest: Harvest the leaves before the plant flowers, gathering them in the morning when the dew has dried. Pick the flowers when the blooms are three-quarters open.

How to harvest: Snip off portions of the stalk when harvestin a small amount of leaves for immediate use and strip the leaves from the stem. Cut the whole branches for dryng leaves or flowers.

Drying: Hang the whole branches upside down to air dry.

Uses

Cooking: Use the flowers and leaves to give salads a cool, minty flavor. Use the flowers and leaves to season stuffing and other poultry dishes, soups, casseroles, and fruit salads.

Teas: Mix hyssop with one of the sweeter mints, such as spearmint, or a more lemony mint like lemon balm.

Arrangements and crafts: Use fresh or dried hyssop herb flowers in floral arrangements. Dried leaves and flowers add fragrance to potpourris.