Hyssop Amethyst – a perennial aromatic plant up to 50 cm tall, forming numerous erect branched stems with a woody base. The leaves are small, lanceolate, dark green in color, covered with glandular hairs and pointed edges. The greenery contains a rich set of mineral salts and essential oil (about 1%), which gives the plant a distinctive aroma reminiscent of sage with notes of ginger.
In cooking, hyssop is used as a spice: shoots, leaves, and flowers are used fresh or dried to season salads, soups, main dishes, vinaigrettes, and sauces. It is added when pickling cucumbers and tomatoes, and also used to flavor cottage cheese and mayonnaise. In beverages, hyssop is used to flavor liqueurs and steeped into tea.
In gardens and landscape design, hyssop is valued as a "plant and forget" variety: it blooms from June to October, creating a bright blue sea. It is unpretentious in growing conditions, frost-resistant, making it an excellent alternative to lavender. Florists and perfumers use hyssop as a natural flavoring, and in medicine it is valued for its antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
