Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)
Flowers: July to September. Height: 60 – 90cm (24 – 36in).
Hyssop is a native of southern Europe. It is not clear when hyssop was brought to England but it may have been as early as the 13th century. The name comes from the Greek word hyssopos and the Hebrew word for Azob, a holy herb, used for cleaning sacred places.
Medicinal: Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (1653) said “Hyssop boiled with rue and honey, and drank, helps those that are troubled with coughs, shortness of breath, wheezing and rheumatic distillation upon the lungs”. Also used for bites, wounds and leprosy.
Culinary: In small amounts, it is added to salads, soups, sauces and meat dishes to aid digestion and used in flavour herb omelettes, hot pottages and pickles.
