Common Names: Hyssop
Scientific Name: Hyssopys officinalis, Lamiaceae
Identification
This plant can be identified by its shrub-like appearance. It ranges from one to two feet in height. It has a woody stem and grows almost in stalks. The leaves are dark green in color, and the flowers that bloom in summer are in bunches; pink, blue and very rarely white.
General info: Beekeepers often cultivate this plant near their hives to make a more aromatic honey, as they do with lavender. It can also be steamed to achieve an essence of hyssop, and is used in whole cooking much less often.
Parts Used: flowers, leaves, stems, roots
Uses: Culinary and medicinal.
Storage: Keep in a cool dry place. It thrives in drought like conditions.
Medicinal Uses
This herb serves as a great expectorant and cough suppressant. Because it has phenol and thujone, these chemicals give the plant antiseptic properties.
Safety: Be cautious, because high doses of thujone can provoke epileptic seizures. Even the oil of hyssop can cause seizures in low doses in children. It can also be used as eye drops and mouth wash.
Books: “Hyssop” by: Kevin McIlvoy