Hyssop Seed Pack, Hyssopus officinalis, 150 seeds per pack flowering-plants

A perennial herb in the mint family, Hyssop has a long history of use as a tea herb for coughs and mucus build-up. The minty sweet taste and aroma with a hint of anise is perfect as a tea but also used sparingly in cooking and cocktails. The spikes of blue flowers are also used by some beekeepers to make a unique sweet and spicy honey that is world-renowned. Considered a tender perennial in zones lower and higher on its range, it grows best in zone 6 blooming reliably in spring and when cut back and allowed to flush out, heavily again in fall. Here in Zone 9, it was stressed in our summer heat but with some tender care, it came back and bloomed for us again in fall. When harvesting for tea the flower stems are cut when in full bloom early in the morning and hung up bundled in a cool dry place for 6 days until it is all separated and chopped up to make the characteristic hyssop tea blend.

Growing Instructions:

Start seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost date in soilless starter mix. Put seeds in the mix in the bag and keep in the fridge for 4-6 weeks and then keep in a cool place for initial growth. Sow seeds in cells in a mix just below the surface and keep moist until germination in 7-21 days. Transplant to full sun and well-draining semi rocky soil when two sets of true leaves appear and the plant is safe to work with. Keep moist until established, after is drought tolerant but doesn’t like prolonged heat.