Common Hyssop [Hyssopus officinalis]

The perennial common hyssop is an ancient wild spice, tea, and medicinal plant with powerful properties. The leaves and flowers are popular in cooking for their spicy aroma. Suitable for dwarf hedges or borders. Ideal for direct sowing, pot culture possible, sowing spring-autumn, good for mixed culture, harvesting leaves and flowers.

 Description 
Common hyssop is a very old perennial spice, tea, and medicinal plant. Its blue-flowering stem form was already valued in ancient times and mentioned in biblical texts. The name hyssop, also known as Hyssopus, was named after Hippocrates. The plant symbolizes purification and protection. This versatile medicinal plant is native to southern Europe, the Middle East, and the region around the Caspian Sea. In the Middle Ages, this robust herb was considered a medicinal plant and spice and was widely cultivated in farm and monastery gardens. In herbal medicine, it is traditionally used to relieve coughs, colds, and digestive problems. Due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is still very popular among healers today. In the kitchen, the aromatic leaves and flowers are often used in soups, salads, and herb butters for their spicy aroma, or served as a tea. Its characteristic flavor is intense and spicy, reminiscent of a mixture of sage and camphor, adding a refreshing and slightly bitter note to dishes. Hyssop grows as a small shrub and is easily pruned, making it ideal for edging flowerbeds or creating dwarf hedges. In the garden, this drought-resistant species thrives in full sun, protecting other plants from the cabbage white butterfly and aphids, and attracting many insects such as bees and butterflies.

 General information 
Plant family: Lamiaceae
Life cycle: Perennial
Days to harvest: 100 days
Plant height approx.: 70 cm
Root type: Deep rooter
Nutrient requirements: Low
Water requirements: Low
Winter hardiness: Up to -18°C
Location: Sunny until semi shady
Soil: Permeable, humus-rich sandy loam soil

pH value: 6.5 to 8

 Sowing and planting information 
Germination type: Light germinator
Sowing depth: 0 cm
Optimal germination temperature: 15-20 °C
Germination time: 14-21 days
Plant and row spacing: 20x25 cm

Germination ability of seeds: 3-4 years

 Mixed culture 
Optimal mixed culture: Cabbage, Lavender, Beetroot, Sage, Thyme, Radish, Wine
Unfavorable mixed culture: Fennel

 Sowing by climate zone 
Subtropic climate (Mediterranean) (e. g. B. Portugal, Spain, Italy)
Direct sowing is recommended from February to May or in the fall from September to October. The ideal location for the plants is sheltered from the wind and sunny.
Moderate climate (e. g. B. Germany, Switzerland, Poland)
Empfehlenswert ist eine Direktsaat von April bis Mai. Der Standort der Pflanzen ist idealerweise windgeschützt und sonnig. 

 General recommendations 
Direct sowing is recommended. After germination, thin the plants to the specified plant spacing. Prefers a nutrient-poor, calcareous, sandy loam soil that is well-drained and moderately moist to dry; this may contain fine gravel.
Common hyssop does not tolerate waterlogging.

 Additional tips 
It doesn't thrive in soils that are too nutrient-rich or too moist. The plant contains essential oils that deter many pests, so hyssop helps keep away the cabbage white butterfly and aphids. In order to quickly obtain a fine, crumbly and permeable soil with good nutrient and water storage capacity, it is recommended to also incorporate biochar and primary rock flour.

 Type of propagation 
Propagation occurs via seeds, root devision or cuttings

 Plant care 
During long dry periods, it's advisable to give the plants additional water. Fertilization is not necessary.

 Other names 
Botanical names: Hyssopus officinalis
English names: Common hyssop, Simply garden hyssop
German names: Blauer Ysop, Echter Ysop, Bienenkraut, Ysop
Portuguese names: Hissopo, Erva sagrada
Spanish names: Hisopo, Hisopillo húmedo, Hisopillo de dos órdenes, Rabillo, Hisopo hortelano, Rabillo de gato de los colmeneros
French names: Hysope

 Origin 
Country: Germany