Hyssopus (
Hyssop) is a genus of
herbaceous or
semi-woody plants in the 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 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.