Hyssopus officinalis

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Hyssopus officinalis

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 2′.  Hyssop.  Southern and eastern Europe.  An aromatic, semi-evergreen perennial that forms an erect bushy shrublet, and is frequently grown in herb gardens and as an ornamental.  Hyssop features narrow, one-inch, stalk-less, toothed, shiny dark green leaves with tufts of smaller leaves borne in the leaf axils.  Fragrant, two-lipped, tubular, purple-blue flowers with protruding stamens bloom in whorls on long, dense spikes from mid to late summer.  Foliage and flowers have a long history of culinary and folk medicine uses.  Leaves have been and still are used in cooking to flavor meats, soups, sauces, salads or stews.  Hyssop oil is currently used as a flavoring agent in the French liqueur Chartreuse.  Known for attracting and feeding bees and bumble bees, legend has it that beekeepers rubbed their hives with Hyssop and other herbs to encourage bees to stay. Hyssop also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.  Sun, well-drained soil.  3 & T1