Hyssop

A pretty plant, hyssop is a perennial with dark, narrow leaves and spikes of flowers in late summer. The usual color is blue but both pink and white varieties are available.

The semi-evergreen leaves of hyssop have been used as a medicine since Old Testament times and hyssop tea is sometimes recommended to relieve bronchitis and catarrh.

These days it is the culinary value of the leaves which is more important. The flavor is strong and is usually described as sage-minty, licorice-minty or bittery-minty. Hyssop's bitter, slightly minty flavor that brightens salads, pork, chicken soup, marinades, fruit soups, and sage stuffing. Both its leaves and flowers are edible, but they should not be used together because the flavor of the leaves overpowers that of the flowers.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love this plant, and this alone makes it a valuable addition to the herb garden.