Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis
Family Lamiaceae
Monks kept hyssop in their physic gardens for centuries, and the bees never left. Its summer spikes of deep blue flowers are famous honey forage, swarmed by bees and butterflies, while the minty-bitter leaves still season rich dishes, liqueurs, and a bracing traditional tea.
As a garden plant it's a gem: a tidy, semi-evergreen one-to-two-foot subshrub that laughs at drought and deer and clips into a fragrant low hedge along a path. Pink and white forms exist for the blue-averse. Edge one walkway with it and count the pollinators.
Full Sun
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing hyssop? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries hyssop — Hyssopus officinalis, print Nº 244, “Hyssop.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what hyssop actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-9Hyssop · Common problems
Common hyssop problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Root Rot in wet clay
Hyssop · Growing & propagation
Growing hyssop
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
Drought-tough
Soil- Lean, well-drained · pH 6.5 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- After bloom
Shear lightly — A tidy, semi-evergreen Mediterranean subshrub for the herb garden or low hedge, drought- and deer-proof. Shear after bloom to keep it dense. Long a monastery-garden staple for bees and medicine.
Spacing- 12-18 in
How to plant & propagate hyssop
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Hyssop · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Hyssop · Yearly calendar
The hyssop year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJune to August
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Hyssop · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Hyssopus officinalis
Hyssop in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What hyssop is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenSafe in culinary amounts; essential oil is strong — not for internal use in quantity or in pregnancy
Use- Bee forage
- Use
- Herbal tea
- Use
- Low hedge
- Use
- Culinary
- Edible value
- 3/5
- Traditional use rating
- 3/5 in herbal tradition
Harvesting & storing hyssop
Leaves and flowers for tea and as a minty-bitter culinary herb; a traditional medicinal.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Hyssop · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a hyssop variety
'Blue' (the classic), 'Roseus' (pink), 'Albus' (white)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Hyssopus officinalis
- Plant family
- Lamiaceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- HYOF
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Hyssop questions, answered straight.
Is hyssop safe for kids and pets?
Hyssop is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Safe in culinary amounts; essential oil is strong — not for internal use in quantity or in pregnancy. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest hyssop?
Leaves and flowers for tea and as a minty-bitter culinary herb; a traditional medicinal.
How do you propagate hyssop?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where hyssop sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop