Hyssop
Hyssop: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Hyssop is a compact aromatic perennial that brings both flavour and summer flowers to a kitchen garden. Familiar in horticulture as Hyssopus officinalis, it is also classified botanically as Dracocephalum officinale. Both names refer to the same plant, a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its natural range extends across Europe and the Mediterranean towards Iran. It is distinct from anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, which is another aromatic plant with its own characteristics.The plant forms an upright, bushy clump with a woody base, often around 30 to 60 cm tall. Narrow green leaves lie along the branching shoots and give it a finer texture than broad-leaved herbs. The foliage is aromatic, particularly noticeable when leaves are handled. Hyssop can retain some foliage in winter, depending on the climate, but its appearance is not identical throughout the year.In summer, spikes of small, two-lipped flowers rise above the leaves. Their usual blue…
