Hyssopus can also refer to a genus of Hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae

Hyssop (Hyssopus) is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or semi-woody plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean east to central Asia. They are aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The leaves are narrow oblong, 2-5 cm 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.

Cultivation and uses

The name hyssop can be traced back almost unchanged through the Greek hyssopos and Hebrew esob, although it is doubtful that Hyssopus officinalis is the same hyssop that is referred to in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, a sponge soaked in sour wine or vinegar was stuck on a branch of hyssop and offered to Jesus of Nazareth on the cross (John 19:29), showing that the cross was not as high as sometimes portrayed although John "replaces" the reed that is named in Matthew and Mark through the hyssop that has a symbolical meaning. Traditionally it has been used as a strewing herb, and many of its historical healing properties that have been previously dismissed as "superstition" are once again being acknowledged.

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