Hyssopus officinalis

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Read about Hyssopus officinalis in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Hyssopus officinalis, Linn. Fig. 1943. Sts. herbaceous from a woody base, slender, branched or not: lvs. linear to oblong, sessile or nearly so, acute at both ends or the lower ones obtuse at the apex, 1 ½ -2 in. long. Eu. and Temp. Asia; also run wild in this country. B.M. 2299 (as H. orientalis). var. alba, with white fls., is cult. Var. grandiflorus, Hort., from Lake Baikal, has large open fls., a diffuse habit and a lax arrangement of the whorls of fls. Hyssop is a hardy perennial subshrub, 18 inches tall. The whole plant has a strong odor and pungent, bitter taste. The green parts are used in connection with wormwood and other plants in the manufacture of absinthe, occasionally as a pot-herb, and as a flavoring for cold-salad plants. The powdered, dried flowers are similarly employed in soups. The flower-spikes are cut just as the blossoms begin to open, and are dried for use in domestic medicine as a stimulant and expectorant in the treatment of asthma, coughs and other pulmonary troubles. Hyssop is not now so highly esteemed as formerly by the medical profession. This plant is readily propagated by seeds, cuttings and plant-division. The seed, generally employed in cold climates, is sown in early spring, either in drills 15 to 18 inches apart where the plants are to remain, or broadcast in nursery beds for transplanting, 12 inches apart in June or July. Propagation by cuttings and by divisions may be done in the autumn, but better in the spring, when the plants first start to grow. Greenwood cuttings may be started in the shade in the early summer. They need to be well watered. The soil should be a light, mellow, calcareous or sandy loam, with a warm aspect. Culture and harvesting are the same as for sage, mint and other herbs. The beds should be renewed every three or four years. M. G. Kains. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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