A perennial herb. Its stems are quadrangular, woody at the base, spreading, very much branched, and 1 foot or 2 in height; the branches are rod-like. The leaves are opposite, sessile, usually oblong-linear, or lanceolate, sometimes elliptical, sometimes narrower, acute, entire, punctate, green on each side, rather thick, and 1-ribbed underneath. The flowers are bluish-purple, seldom white, and borne in racemose, second whorls, consisting of from 6 to 15 flowers. The floral leaves are like those of the stem, but smaller. Outer bracts lanceolate-linear, acute, scarcely shorter than the calyx. Upper lip of the corolla erect, flat, emarginate; lower lip trifid, spreading, with the middle lobe larger. Stamens 4, protruding, and diverging; anthers with linear divaricating cells.

Expectorant and stomach tonic (herb); antiseptic, antitussive, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, pectoral, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic and vasodilator (leaves and flowering tops)

Hyssop
Plants for a Future

1,8-cineole, alpha-thujone, benzaldehyde, beta-thujone, borneol, cuminaldehyde, methyl-chavicol, myrcene, thymol (shoot); alpha-humulene, alpha-phellandrene, alpha-terpineol, benzyl-alcohol, beta-caryophyllene, beta-ionone, camphor, elemol, estragole, eugenol, geraniol, limonene(leaf, flower); alpha-pinene, alpha-terpinene, camphene, gamma-terpinene, terpinolene (leaf) ; beta-sitosterol, bornyl-acetate, caffeic acid, carvacrol, choline, delta-cadinene, diosmin, ferulic acid, hesperidin, marrubbin, methyl-eugenol, oleanolic acid, p-cymene, rosmarinic acid, tannin, terpinyl-acetate, ursolic acid (plant)

In the treatment of flatulence, stomach-aches, upper respiratory tract infections, coughs in children etc (tea from leaves); in gargles for quinsy and ordinary sore throat.

Plant should not be used by pregnant women, however, since in large quantities it can induce a miscarriage.