HYSSOP BY ANY OTHER NAME
A clergyman friend wanted some hyssop to use during a religious service. This was perfectly appropriate, since the herb, used in sacred purification rites since ancient times, is mentioned in the Book of Psalms, as well as in the New Testament.
As is always the case in churches, the hyssop issue was the starting point for a discussion. Even people who knew nothing of hyssop were in favor of using a sprig for a ceremonial sprinkle of holy water. The conversation quickly turned from the desirability of hyssop to ways of ensuring a ready supply for future use. Could it grow in the church garden? If so, where could we get the seeds or young plants?
Someone had seen hyssop in a catalog, but couldn’t remember which one. Another person swore she had it growing in her home garden. A third volunteered to do some research. Then, as is also common in churches, the issue took a back seat to other, more pressing concerns.
Gardeners and merchandisers have been flinging the word “hyssop” around with wild abandon over the last few years. Some are talking about true hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis, a mint family member and longtime herb garden favorite. Most though, are referring to various species of another mint, agastache, which is sometimes also called “hyssop”. Ever since xeriscaping or dry gardening came into vogue, attractive, drought-tolerant agastache has been one of the darlings of the horticultural world.
So which one–agastache or true hyssop–is right for the church garden? Probably both. Like all mints, the two are tough, hardy and beloved of butterflies and other pollinators. Both are colorful and easy to care for. Even the kind of enthusiastic church volunteers who put starter plants into the ground without first removing them from their pots won’t have any trouble with either hyssop or agastache.
Hyssop is native to the Mediterranean and parts of western Asia. The first century Greek-born physician and writer, Dioscorides, knew and used it. His close contemporary, the great Roman naturalist Pliny, wrote about hyssop as well. Much later, in the sixteenth century, Englishman John Gerard described the properties of hyssop in his famous Gerard’s Herbal. In addition to being used in ancient Greek, Hebrew and Christian religious rituals, hyssop has historical medicinal applications. It was probably grown in the monastic gardens of medieval Europe, most likely for the flowers, which were cut and made into a tea that was used to treat coughs and asthma.
If you slice through a hyssop stem, you will find that the cross section is square, as with all mints. It is a bushy plant, with small narrow leaves and elongated flower stalks that can reach up to two feet in height. The purple, tubular flowers, which may remind you of catmint or lavender, cover one third to one half of each stalk. Both the leaves and flowers are aromatic, and the leaves can also be used in cooking. Hyssop is a flavor component of both absinthe and Chartreuse liqueur.
While hyssop flowers attract butterflies in search of nectar, the plants themselves are also food sources for the ubiquitous white cabbage butterfly. Some writers suggest using it for low hedges in herb gardens.
Agastache can grow up to about eighteen inches tall, with typical minty-looking leaves–elongated, with toothed edges. As with hyssop, all parts of the plant are aromatic. Many agastache species are native to North America, especially the American southwest, and several species have “hyssop” in their common names. Agastache foeniculum is also known as anise hyssop, Agastache mexicana is sometimes called Mexican giant hyssop and Agastache rupestris goes by threadleaf giant hyssop. You can see why people confuse true hyssop with agastache.
There are several species and an increasing number of cultivated agastache varieties available through various vendors. The flower colors include white, pink, orange, blue-purple, and they are much more noticeable than many mint-family flowers. I love ‘Desert Sunrise’, a new hybrid with fragrant flowers that combine soft orange, pink and a bit of lavender. My garden is also home to ‘Black Adder’, with blue-purple flowers and dark purple buds. It is vigorous to say the least.
Agastache is often also known as “hummingbird mint” and I have watched the hummingbird that passes through my yard every day hovering hungrily over the blossoms.
So any garden, on church property or elsewhere, would be well served by the presence of both hyssop and agastache. Both have the same needs–sun and very well drained soil. A few guides even advocate using a gravel mulch, though my agastache are perfectly happy without one.
You can obtain both Hyssop officinalis and agastache varieties from High Country Gardens, 2902 Rufina Street Santa Fe, NM 87507, (800) 925-9387, www.highcountrygardens.com. Free catalog.