{"id":100,"date":"2008-06-23T17:31:22","date_gmt":"2008-06-24T01:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/garden\/?p=100"},"modified":"2015-11-24T07:33:02","modified_gmt":"2015-11-24T15:33:02","slug":"hyssop-and-agastache","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/hyssop-and-agastache\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyssop and Agastache"},"content":{"rendered":"

HYSSOP BY ANY OTHER NAME
\n<\/font><\/font><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>A clergyman friend wanted some hyssop to use during a religious service.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As is always the case in churches, the hyssop issue was the starting point for a discussion.\u00a0 Even people who knew nothing of hyssop were in favor of using a sprig for a ceremonial sprinkle of holy water.\u00a0 The conversation quickly turned from the desirability of hyssop to ways of ensuring a ready supply for future use.\u00a0 Could it grow in the church garden?\u00a0 If so, where could we get the seeds or young plants?<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Someone had seen hyssop in a catalog, but couldn’t remember which one.\u00a0 Another person swore she had it growing in her home garden.\u00a0 A third volunteered to do some research.\u00a0 Then, as is also common in churches, the issue took a back seat to other, more pressing concerns.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gardeners and merchandisers have been flinging the word “hyssop”\u009d around with wild abandon over the last few years.\u00a0 Some are talking about true hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis, a mint family member and longtime herb garden favorite.\u00a0 Most though, are referring to various species of another mint, agastache, which is sometimes also called “hyssop”\u009d.\u00a0 Ever since xeriscaping or dry gardening came into vogue, attractive, drought-tolerant agastache has been one of the darlings of the horticultural world.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So which one–agastache or true hyssop–is right for the church garden?\u00a0 Probably both.\u00a0 Like all mints, the two are tough, hardy and beloved of butterflies and other pollinators.\u00a0 Both are colorful and easy to care for.\u00a0 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.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hyssop is native to the Mediterranean and parts of western Asia.\u00a0 The first century Greek-born physician and writer, Dioscorides, knew and used it.\u00a0 His close contemporary, the great Roman naturalist Pliny, wrote about hyssop as well.\u00a0 Much later, in the sixteenth century, Englishman John Gerard described the properties of hyssop in his famous Gerard’s Herbal. <\/em>\u00a0In addition to being used in ancient Greek, Hebrew and Christian religious rituals, hyssop has historical medicinal applications.\u00a0 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.<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you slice through a hyssop stem, you will find that the cross section is square, as with all mints.\u00a0 It is a bushy plant, with small narrow leaves and elongated flower stalks that can reach up to two feet in height.\u00a0 The purple, tubular flowers, which may remind you of catmint or lavender, cover one third to one half of each stalk.\u00a0 Both the leaves and flowers are aromatic, and the leaves can also be used in cooking.\u00a0 Hyssop is a flavor component of both absinthe and Chartreuse liqueur.\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While hyssop flowers attract butterflies in search of nectar, the plants themselves are also food sources for the ubiquitous white cabbage butterfly.\u00a0 Some writers suggest using it for low hedges in herb gardens.\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Agastache can grow up to about eighteen inches tall, with typical minty-looking leaves–elongated, with toothed edges.\u00a0 As with hyssop, all parts of the plant are aromatic.\u00a0 Many agastache species are native to North America, especially the American southwest, and several species have “hyssop”\u009d in their common names.\u00a0 Agastache foeniculum is also known as anise hyssop, Agastache mexicana is sometimes called Mexican giant hyssop and Agastache rupestris goes by threadleaf giant hyssop.\u00a0 You can see why people confuse true hyssop with agastache.\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There are several species and an increasing number of cultivated agastache varieties available through various vendors.\u00a0 The flower colors include white, pink, orange, blue-purple, and they are much more noticeable than many mint-family flowers.\u00a0 I love ‘Desert Sunrise’, a new hybrid with fragrant flowers that combine soft orange, pink and a bit of lavender.\u00a0\u00a0 My garden is also home to ‘Black Adder’, with blue-purple flowers and dark purple buds.\u00a0 It is vigorous to say the least. <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Agastache is often also known as “hummingbird mint”\u009d and I have watched the hummingbird that passes through my yard every day hovering hungrily over the blossoms.\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So any garden, on church property or elsewhere, would be well served by the presence of both hyssop and agastache.\u00a0 Both have the same needs–sun and very well drained soil.\u00a0 A few guides even advocate using a gravel mulch, though my agastache are perfectly happy without one.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 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<\/a>.com.\u00a0 Free catalog.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HYSSOP BY ANY OTHER NAME \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A clergyman friend wanted some hyssop to use during a religious service.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As is always the case in churches, … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-interest","category-summer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1682,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions\/1682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}