Contents
Hyssop is a beautiful unpretentious plant often used for decorative purposes. It can be seen in the picturesque corners of personal plots, as well as as a hedge in gardens or on alpine hills. Some connoisseurs plant such a plant in flower pots at home. And no wonder! After all, not only does this plant have a rare beauty, its exquisite aroma fascinates. Thanks to him, he is highly valued in cooking, as a spicy spice for seasoning various dishes. In addition, hyssop officinalis has valuable and useful qualities, due to which it is widely used in folk medicine.
History and appearance of medicinal herbs
Hyssop is mentioned in the writings of Avicenna, the great medieval philosopher and healer. In the Middle Ages, it was generally an integral ingredient in all herbal preparations, potions and elixirs. The Jews considered it a sacred plant, and already in antiquity, hyssop began to be valued precisely for its medicinal properties.
Closer to the fourteenth century in Europe, this herb began to be widely used not only for medical, but also for cosmetic purposes. “The chest is cleansed of phlegm by a herb called hyssop. Hyssop is useful for the lungs if it is boiled together with honey, and they say that it gives the face an excellent color, ”wrote the famous Spanish doctor Arnold of Villanova in his Salerno Code of Health.
Nowadays, this wonderful plant is also called blue St. John’s wort and it has more than fifty species. Hyssop looks like a small shrub, with an average height of twenty to eighty centimeters, with numerous stems and dark green oblong opposite leaves. By July, hyssop is covered with blue and purple flowers, collected in oblong inflorescences in the form of spikelets. This is an unforgettable sight also because during the flowering period, the leaves and flowers emit a luxurious spicy aroma characteristic of this plant.
Such a strong smell simply attracts bees, so hyssop can be safely called a honey plant.
By August, the plant fades and the seeds begin to appear, which are fractional brown-brown fruits, consisting of four nuts each.
In the wild, hyssop is often found in Dagestan and European countries, in Western Asia and northern Africa. It is now naturalized in North America, throughout Europe and Russia.
The most common types of plants are:
- medicinal hyssop;
- hyssop anise;
- chalk hyssop.
The most valuable of them is medicinal, since it is he who has found wide application in medicine, cosmetology and cooking.
There are also many artificially selected varieties: Dawn, Accord, Hoarfrost, Doctor, Amethyst, Pink fog, Nikitsky white, Pink flamingo and others. The main difference between them is the color of the flowers.
Hyssop cultivation and culinary use
Hyssop is a very unpretentious plant, it suits almost any climate and soil. He is not afraid of either drought or frost, but still prefers to grow under the bright sun in open areas in loose, well-drained soil.
Its cultivation occurs with the help of seeds, which are collected by carefully cutting off the already darkened inflorescences swollen from the fruits. They are dried, then the seeds are shaken out of the boxes and used for seedlings or immediately planted in the ground.
Seeds are planted in the ground in April-early May. They are sown in even rows, no more than a centimeter deep. The width between rows is usually twenty to forty centimeters. Seeds germinate in about two weeks.
For seedlings, hyssop seeds are planted in March. They are sown in boxes, and when the first leaves appear, they are seated in separate pots. After about one and a half to two months, seedlings can be planted in open ground.
Caring for this medicinal plant consists in watering, periodic loosening of row spacing, timely removal of weeds and a little top dressing.
If the shoots are cut to about 35 centimeters for the winter, such a plant will bloom much more abundantly and look bushier and more beautiful.
Hyssop is also propagated by dividing the bushes, as well as using cuttings.
The stems and leaves of the plant are used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Harvest them immediately after the start of flowering. To do this, the tops of the plant with flowers are carefully cut off and tied in bunches, dried in a well-ventilated place or under a canopy.
Due to its exquisite aroma, hyssop officinalis has found wide application in cooking. Dried leaves are added to expensive cheeses and sausages, soups and meat dishes. This spice is wonderfully combined with legumes, used to make fruit oriental teas and marinades. Pickled cucumbers, olives and tomatoes are amazingly tasty with the addition of hyssop.
Hyssop is famous for its tart sage-ginger aroma and bitter aftertaste. Because of this, it is often used in the manufacture of alcoholic beverages.
Blue St. John’s wort goes well with mint, thyme, ginger, basil and garlic. But it is not recommended to get carried away with such a spice, because its use in large quantities will only spoil gourmet dishes. In addition, you should know that when adding spices, the food container must be kept open so as not to spoil the pleasant and exciting aroma.
Few people know that this herb is also good for dietary purposes, since its use in food allows you not to use salt. It is successfully added to diet salads and meat dishes, to which it gives a tart, spicy flavor. This spice also goes well with fish and seafood.
Useful properties and contraindications
Hyssop is a wonderful honey plant and a beautiful ornamental plant. Because of its aroma, it is often used in the culinary and perfume industries. And due to its valuable chemical composition, it is used in cosmetology and traditional medicine.
The essential oils included in it contribute to the removal of inflammatory processes, the removal of harmful substances and carcinogens, regulate brain activity, improve immunity and have restorative properties.
Flavonoids contained in the plant contribute to an increase in vascular tone and normalization of hematopoietic processes, and tannins endow hyssop with bactericidal and astringent effects.
In addition, it contains ascorbic acid, oleanolic and ursolic acids, glycosides, resins and bitterness, as well as many other useful elements.
The medicinal plant has the following beneficial effects:
- bactericidal;
- antipyretic and analgesic;
- laxative and diuretic;
- antiparasitic and antimicrobial;
- antiseptic and wound healing;
- exciting.
Thanks to hyssop, wounds and burns heal much faster, hematomas are effectively absorbed. This herb helps with increased sweating, which women during menopause will undoubtedly appreciate. Also, with the assistance of this plant, the monthly cycle is normalized, metabolism is accelerated, the functioning of the brain and central nervous system improves, and blood pressure rises. Often use blue St. John’s wort to get rid of a hangover.
Means with a medicinal plant have a beneficial effect on the digestive system: they relieve worms, improve appetite, relieve inflammation in the digestive tract and stomach cramps, and promote better absorption of food.
Hyssop is effective for colds and infectious and inflammatory diseases. It is often used for inflammation of the respiratory tract and throat, skin problems and inflammation of the urinary tract. Such a drug is wonderful for coughing, bronchitis, and even asthma. It is also useful for neurosis, rheumatism, anemia and angina pectoris.
Despite all its charms, it has medicinal hyssop and its contraindications, as it is considered a slightly poisonous plant. Therefore, it is not recommended to use it in the presence of the following factors:
- individual intolerance to plant components;
- period of pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- children up to 12 years;
- epileptic seizures and convulsive syndrome;
- high blood pressure;
- violation of the kidneys;
- increased acidity of the stomach.
Application in folk medicine
In folk medicine, this medicinal herb is most often used in the form of teas, decoctions, infusions and alcohol tinctures.
Hyssop tinctures are often used for external diseases to treat wounds, bruises and burns, as well as for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They are especially good for bloating or intestinal colic.
Decoctions are often used in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory and urinary systems, as well as for colds.
Teas also help to cope with colds, are useful during sore throats and prolonged coughs. They also effectively relieve fever, improve the functioning of the stomach and intestines, relax and soothe.
Infusions of hyssop rinse the mouth and throat with various inflammations or stomatitis, and with conjunctivitis it is effective for washing the eyes. Often such infusions are used to improve appetite.
Decoction based on hyssop
For cooking, it is necessary to pour one hundred grams of dried hyssop grass with one liter of boiling water and boil for five minutes. After the broth, strain and add 150 grams of sugar. Consume three to four times a day. The maximum daily dose is not more than 100 ml of the product.
Hyssop tincture
Add one hundred grams of dry hyssop to a liter of dry white wine and keep for three weeks in a dry, dark and cool place. The tincture must be shaken every day during this time. After this, strain the medicine and take a teaspoon three times a day.
Infusion on hyssop
Pour twenty grams of dry grass into a thermos and pour a liter of boiling water. It takes thirty minutes to fully cook. After this time, it must be filtered and taken three times a day for half a glass
Summing up
Hyssop officinalis is a very beautiful and useful herb with a tart, bitter taste and an exquisite spicy aroma. Thanks to these properties, this plant has found wide application in the field of cooking and in the perfume industry. And due to its valuable and useful composition, it is often used for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. However, like all other medicines, hyssop is also not useful for everyone and in some cases can be harmful to health. Therefore, before using it as a medicine, it is necessary to discuss this with your doctor.