Hyssopus

1885 illustration of H. officinalis

Hyssopus (hyssop) is a genus of herbaceous or semi-woody plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native from the east Mediterranean to central Asia as far east as Mongolia. They are aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm (24 in) long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The leaves are narrow oblong, 2–5 cm (0.8–2.0 in) long. The small blue flowers are borne on the upper part of the branches during summer. By far the best-known species is the herb hyssop (H. officinalis), widely cultivated outside its native area in the Mediterranean.