Hyssop or blue St. John's wort: an overview of the healing properties of the plant and its use in cooking. Hyssop - "Blue St. John's Wort": landing and care From bloating and colitis

Hyssop grass is a two-in-one plant - and a fragrant seasoning for different dishes and a cure for many diseases. The medicinal properties of the herb have been known to our world since ancient times and are used in the treatment of bronchitis, flu and all types of coughs. The fragrant leaves are used in cooking for minced meats, soups, sausages and salads, adding a bit of bitterness to the dish. It is also widely used in the preparation of products in the form of pickles for the winter.

Herb hyssop description and application

The medicinal plant is a perennial small fragrant shrub, reaching only 50 cm in height. It has many stems on one root, which end in a profuse inflorescence containing small flowers of irregular shape from white to of blue color. There is another popular name: blue St. John's wort or bee grass.
It occurs mainly in the southern regions in the steppes, on rocky slopes and hills.

Our ancestors knew what hyssop is and its scope, so they used it to treat respiratory diseases, to lower the temperature and as a general tonic.

Hyssop medicinal use in medicine

In folk medicine, healers use tinctures, infusions, decoctions, tea and essential oil from hyssop. The composition of leaves and flowers is rich in vitamins, healing trace elements, flavonoids and tannins. In addition, the leaves contain high levels of copper, zinc, calcium and manganese. In medicine, herbal remedies are used both internally and externally. Decoctions are widely used as a prophylactic against colds, seasonal diseases, the benefits of which are evidenced by numerous positive reviews.

Medicinal properties of hyssop officinalis

The unique properties of the medicinal herb hyssop increase immunity and appetite, normalize the digestive process in the body and are used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. skin diseases.

The plant has pronounced properties following direction:

1. anti-inflammatory;
2. antispasmodic;
3. expectorant;
4. antipyretic;
5. wound healing and many others.

Used in gynecology as a tonic for menopause, hormonal disorder and inflammatory processes urinary tract.

Despite the benefits of a medicinal plant, it also has some contraindications, harming the human body. Hyssop tincture is contraindicated in children under two years of age, people with very high blood pressure and pregnant women. Children from 2 to 12 years of age are allowed to take drugs with a reduced dose.

Cough tincture - instructions for use

Hyssop tincture for cough has a pronounced antispasmodic effect, has a good expectorant effect, therefore it is used for all types of coughs from the age of two years. The use of tincture during a cough leads to speedy recovery, having an anti-inflammatory effect aimed at reducing the irritating process in the throat. To enhance the effect, add half a teaspoon of May honey to the prepared tincture.

Hyssop tincture on vodka for asthma and bronchitis - recipe

There is the following recipe, tincture of hyssop, which will help get rid of excess mucus in bronchitis, relieve coughing in asthma:

• take 20 grams of chopped dried herbs, pour a glass of vodka, mix well and insist for 7 days, after careful straining, take 1 teaspoon three times a day. The course of admission is about 2 weeks.

Long-term use of tincture can cause allergic reactions, as the plant has a potent effect.

How to brew hyssop herb with menopause

The use of hyssop in gynecology is due to the fact that it is able to restore hormonal balance during menopause. Infusions and decoctions fight excessive sweating and normalize constantly jumping body temperature, resulting in an improvement in the general condition of the body.

brew grass to relieve symptoms of menopause simple enough:

• take 1 tablespoon of chopped dried herbs, pour two cups of boiling water, mix well and leave for an hour, take the strained broth 2 times a day for half a glass a little warm, so the prepared remedy is enough for two days of taking, the rest is stored in the refrigerator .

Is it possible during pregnancy

When using hyssop during pregnancy, contraindications must be considered first. medicinal herb has not only beneficial properties for health, but also contains to some extent toxic substances, therefore it is not recommended to take it inside for pregnant women, but external use does not harm the body of either the mother or the fetus. In inflammatory processes of the skin, it is allowed to use decoctions as antiseptic.

The herb is used for stomatitis, purulent skin formations, inflammation of the eyes and all kinds of wounds.

Medicinal properties of herbs for colds

From ancient times medicinal properties hyssop herbs were used to treat colds. Hyssop is excellent for coughs, runny nose and other respiratory infections. Used to treat such diseases next recipe, which is quite easy to cook at home:

• take 2 teaspoons of dried grass or flowers, pour a glass of boiling water, mix and insist for an hour, drink the strained broth half a glass 2 times a day, or 1/3 cup 3 times a day, the course of admission is 7-10 days.

The prepared decoction is also used to treat problems with the digestive system, rheumatism and excessive sweating. Suitable for the treatment of chronic bronchitis.

Tea with medicinal hyssop - benefits and indications for use

Tea made from medicinal hyssop flowers is used as a tonic for excessive thinness, improving appetite and filling the body with useful vitamins and microelements. The benefits of taking this tea are unique properties. Tea has an expectorant effect, while normalizing the processes in digestive system.

You can prepare tea as follows:

• take 2 tablespoons of dried flowers, pour 1 glass of boiling water and leave for about 10-15 minutes, drink a glass several times a day, adding honey or sugar to taste.

Tea made from flowers does not contain toxic substances, so you can drink it without restriction, but not more than one month, then take a break. medicinal tea helps to fight colic and constipation, relieves the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Decoction can be used to treat wounds and inflammation of the skin.

Useful properties for children

The medicinal plant can be used in childhood starting at two years old. For children from two to 12 years old, reduced doses of drugs are used. In folk medicine, decoctions are often used to increase appetite in children, due to the content of bitterness, which contributes to the rapid digestion of food, thereby causing appetite. Hyssop medicinal use for children, it is acceptable due to the high content of vitamins and rare trace elements contained in the leaves and flowers of the plant, which have a general beneficial effect on the child's body.

For children's cough and bronchitis, only decoctions, infusions and tea prepared from the flowers and leaves of the plant are used.

Hyssop tincture on vodka for tuberculosis - preparation method

Hyssop tincture is prepared for pulmonary tuberculosis according to the following recipe:

• take 20 grams of crushed dried raw materials, pour a glass of vodka or diluted alcohol, mix and infuse for 10 days, take the strained solution in a teaspoon 3 times a day, the course of treatment is about 1 month.

The prepared tincture is suitable for getting rid of helminths.

Planting care and cultivation

The plant is an unpretentious plant in care, but nevertheless loves warm areas and moderate watering. A real find for beekeepers, since the plant is an excellent honey plant and blooms from June to the very end of September, honey from it is not only useful, but also very fragrant. Therefore, beekeepers plant and grow entire plantations of odorous grass on their plots. Planting is carried out by seeds.

In order for the plant to retain all the beneficial properties, you need to know exactly: when to collect, how to dry and how to brew hyssop. Flowers are picked at the moment abundant flowering, the collection of leaves and stems is carried out along with the flowers. The collection and preparation of raw materials for the winter is carried out from July to September, at the time of the most abundant flowering, when the plant contains a maximum useful substances.

It is necessary to collect raw materials only dry without dew and dry them in well-ventilated areas, preferably on a sheet of paper or natural fabric. Well-dried raw materials are folded into paper bags or stored in a suspended state in the form of brooms.

Hyssop has several remarkable qualities: a bright decorative effect, a pleasant spicy aroma and exceptionally useful properties. Hyssop is grown outdoors in household plots and large plantations as a melliferous, ornamental and medicinal plant. And although hyssop is completely unpretentious, nevertheless, caring for it requires attention. If you carefully follow the recommendations for planting and fertilizing hyssop, then for many years it will bloom profusely and beautifully, as in the photo. And how to achieve this is described in this article.

Hyssop - description, habitat and species.

Hyssop, it is also called the blue St. John's wort, belongs to the Yasnotkov family. The culture is a herbaceous shrub 50-70 cm in height with dark green small lanceolate leaves. The spike inflorescence crowning the stem consists of small, densely planted, two-lipped flowers, 5-6 each, located in the axils of the leaves. The buds in the inflorescence do not bloom at the same time, and the plant has a decorative appearance for a long time. Thanks to this, hyssop is an excellent material for landscape design. The leaves and stems of the plant have a spicy bitter taste, and the flowers spread a strong pleasant aroma with hints of camphor.

Hyssop is a plant that will not only beautify the garden, but also benefit the organism when ingested.

AT vivo high bright candles of hyssop inflorescences - blue, white, blue and even pink flowers, can be found in the southern and middle latitudes of the European part of the mainland, in the south Western Siberia, in Central, Minor and Central Asia, at the foothills of the Alps, the Caucasus and the Carpathians, but the Mediterranean is considered the birthplace of hyssop.

Previously, about 50 plant species were assigned to the Hyssop genus, but in the modern view, only 7 species are attributed to it, the most popular of them:

Hyssop: cultivation and care

Hyssop has been cultivated for many centuries as an ornamental, ether-containing, melliferous and spicy plant. This winter hardy drought tolerant perennial does not need much nutrient soil. For planting a plant, garden areas well lit by the sun with dry and loose soil are perfect.

Important! In areas where groundwater is close, hyssop will not grow for a long time - with stagnant moisture, plant roots can rot. You should also know that alkaline soil is more suitable for hyssop - after all, in nature this plant lives on the slopes of limestone mountains.

AT ideal conditions and with good care, hyssop can grow without a transplant for up to 10 years!

The plant requires minimal care and top dressing.

He needs very little:

1. Regular, but not abundant watering.
2. Top dressing with mineral and organic fertilizers.
3. Weed weeding.
4. Pruning shoots.

This is especially true for young plants - adult hyssop looks great even in extreme heat. Hyssop has a good “immunity” and is practically not affected by pathogens and does not suffer from insect pests. But it can get sick from excessive care - waterlogging and overfeeding.

The flowering period of hyssop lasts from July to the end of September, but it can also be extended until the very frosts, if flowering candles are regularly cut off, and then young branches with buds will grow on the shoot. The cut branches can be dried and used as a spice or aromatic addition to tea.

Hyssop flowers can be used to create healthy herbal teas

The perennial hyssop is a frost-resistant plant and winters well under the snow. But in regions with severe frosts, it must be mulched, for example, with peat. In order for the bush to branch well next year, give many strong shoots and bloom profusely, it is recommended to cut the branches for the winter, leaving about 20 cm above the ground.

Reproduction and planting

Hyssop propagates by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. You can get seeds yourself. To do this, when the upper parts of the shoots are already starting to turn brown, you need to cut off several inflorescences, lay them out on paper to ripen the seeds, and then gently shake the branches so that the seeds spill out of the boxes.

hyssop seeds

seeds in May, you can immediately lower into open ground. Usually sown in rows, deepening the seed into the soil by about 1 cm, at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. When the plants release 5-6 leaves, they, if necessary, need to be thinned out, while maintaining the distance between the bushes. Grown up and strengthened plants can already be transplanted to permanent place.

To get earlier flowering, you can use seedling method landing. In early March, the seeds are sown in boxes, and put them in warm place. When the seedlings already have 5-6 true leaves, they dive into separate pots. In May, plants can already be planted in a flower garden, provided that it is warm enough outside.

Important! In both cases, the seedlings need care - top dressing and regular watering, and in the open field - also weeding.

Hyssop sprout (20 days after planting seeds)

Cuttings for planting(spring or summer) cut from green shoots. Pieces 10-15 cm long should be immediately planted in the ground. For better rooting, they are covered with a film or plastic bottle and well, but not excessively, water. The bush will bloom only next year.

The easiest way to reproduce is dividing the bush. It is carried out in the spring when transplanting a perennial plant. Delenki are planted in open ground, in shallow holes and watered.

Hyssop in landscape design. combination with other plants.

Hyssop, despite its "semi-wild" disposition, the plant is very bright and decorative, and gardeners are very willing to grow it in their flower beds. Hyssop gets along well with other dry-resistant plants and in rockeries, alpine slides, flower beds can serve as a backdrop for more "noble" neighbors. It is great for creating hedges and edging borders Lovers herbs they plant "blue St. John's wort" next to mint, lavender, rosemary, oregano and sage in their "fragrant" front gardens.

Useful properties of hyssop: video

Hyssop: photo

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Hyssop has been used since ancient times as an effective medicinal plant that can cure a large number of ailments. About what effect this plant has on the body, what properties it has, in what form it is better to take it for certain diseases, what contraindications it has for use - and we will talk further.

plant description

hyssop plant (or blue hypericum) belongs to the family of yasnotkovye, growing in the territory of central Russia, Asia, the Mediterranean, southern Siberia, and also in the Caucasus. Hyssop prefers steppe terrain, rocky slopes and gentle dry hills.

Hyssop is a perennial, strongly odorous plant, which mainly has the form of a shrub with linear or oblong leaves. The flowers are different irregular shape, they can be white, pink or blue. The flowers are collected in spike-shaped apical inflorescence.

Hyssop Grass Varieties

This is perennial, numbering more than 50 species, is used in cooking as fragrant seasoning, in decorative art, as well as in folk medicine (some of its types, which will be discussed below).

Hyssop anise

Hyssop anise ( official name of this plant lofant anise) is a perennial branching plant, the height of which reaches 50 - 110 cm. beautiful leaves plants are distinguished by the presence of purple-brown markings. It should be noted that each branch of the anise hyssop has a dense spike-shaped inflorescence, the length of which is 8–15 cm (the inflorescences consist of rather small flowers of a blue-violet hue). When rubbed, the flowers exude a very pleasant anise scent.

The plant blooms continuously, from July to early October. At the same time, each flower lives no longer than a week, but new opening buds come to replace it, thereby providing the plant with a permanent decorative effect.

Anise lofant is a melliferous essential oil plant with medicinal properties. So, as an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant, anise hyssop is used in the treatment of colds, tonsillitis, bronchitis. In addition, this plant is used in the East as an effective immunostimulant, which is on a par with ginseng, eleutherococcus and lemongrass.

The action of anise hyssop:

• pressure regulation ;
• improved metabolism;
• reducing the dependence of health status on weather conditions;
• acceleration of wound healing;
• removal of fatigue.

The essential oil of this plant has a pronounced bactericidal effect, therefore it is used in the treatment of colds (often thick stems of anise hyssop are added to bath brooms).

If this variety of hyssop is planned to be used as a spicy or medicinal plant immediately after the collection of raw materials, then cutting fresh greens (grass) is carried out throughout growing season. In the event that the lofant is harvested for the future, then the grass is cut only during the budding and flowering of the plant. At the same time, it is important in the first year of a plant's life to make only one cutting of shoots from the end of July to the beginning of August (this will enable it to get stronger, and, therefore, prepare for winter). In the future, two cuttings of medicinal raw materials can be carried out over the summer: the first - at a height of about 40 cm from the surface of the earth, and the second - at a height of 15 cm.

Cut raw materials are tied into bundles and dried under a canopy (always in the shade). Dried raw materials are stored in linen bags, paper bags or glass jars.

In cooking, aniseed hyssop is used as an aromatic seasoning for meat dishes, and also as an alternative to peppermint.

Hyssop officinalis (common)

The medicinal hyssop shrub (it is also called common) has a woody root and woody twigs, reaching a height of about 50 - 60 cm. On a hard stem there are dark green leaves, distinguished by lowered edges and the presence of small flowers growing in the axils of the leaves. The flowers are predominantly blue (although they may be white or pink). The flowering period of this type of hyssop is July - September.

Hyssop officinalis is widely used as medicinal plant due to the high content in the plant essential oil and many other elements that have a beneficial effect on the body.

Hyssop officinalis is used to treat diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, skin, respiratory tract, ENT organs, and eyes.

It is this species that is mainly used in folk medicine, therefore, the information below relates specifically to hyssop officinalis.

Collection and storage

The medicinal raw material of hyssop officinalis is the aerial part of the plant, namely the flowering leafy shoots (or grass) collected at the very beginning of flowering. So, the tops of the stems, the length of which should not exceed 20 cm, are cut off, neatly tied into bunches and dried under a canopy or in a ventilated room. For the convenience of further use, the dried raw materials are crushed and stored in glass containers, clothes bags or cardboard bags.

Properly dried, the plant has a pungent odor and a bitter taste. The yield of dry grass is 20 percent.

The composition and properties of hyssop

Essential oil

The essential oils contained in hyssop have a beneficial effect on all vital processes for the body, namely:

• regulate brain function;
• normalize the functioning of the central nervous system;
• regulate immunological reactions;
• normalize hormone levels;
• contribute accelerated healing wounds;
• relieve pain syndrome;
• eliminate inflammation;
• improve memory and concentration;
• increase efficiency;
• remove carcinogens;
• slow down the aging process.

Tannins (tannin)

Forming a biological film, tannin prevents the adverse effects on the body of various external and internal factors (chemical, bacterial or mechanical).

In addition, tannin helps to reduce the degree of capillary permeability and vasoconstriction. Tannin has pronounced bactericidal and astringent properties, due to which plants containing this tannin are used in the treatment of oral diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, wounds, and burns.

Oleanolic acid

Action:

• relieves spasm of the arteries, including spasm of the coronary arteries;
• lowers blood pressure;
• normalizes the heart rhythm;
• lowers blood cholesterol;
• maintains the integrity of the vascular walls by reducing their fragility and permeability;
• prevents the appearance of blood clots;
• relieves inflammation.

In addition, it has been proven that in diseases such as pyelonephritis and cystitis, drugs containing oleanolic acid enhance the effect of both antibiotics and sulfanilamide drugs.

Ursolic acid

Action:

• relieves inflammation;
• promotes increased urination;
• prevents the formation of kidney stones;
• dilates the coronary vessels of the heart;
• reduces blood pressure;
• fights tumors, due to which it is recommended in some countries for the treatment of skin cancer;
• restores sun-damaged skin;
• promotes hair growth by stimulating peripheral blood flow directly to the scalp;
• restores collagen fibers.

Flavonoid diosmin

Action of diosmin:

• reduces the extensibility of the venous wall;
• increases the tone of venous muscle cells;
• reduces stagnation of blood in the veins (especially in the lower extremities);
• normalizes blood flow in small capillaries;
• improves the outflow of not only venous blood, but also lymph;
• eliminates the feeling of heaviness and pain in the legs;
• relieves puffiness;
• eliminates varicose veins.

Flavonoid hesperidin

This bioflavonoid in combination with diosmin has a pronounced venotonic and angioprotective effect. Also, hesperidin reduces the extensibility of the veins and increases their tone, and this helps to reduce venous congestion. By increasing the resistance of capillaries, the flavonoid improves blood microcirculation and lymph flow.

Glycosides

These substances, irritating the receptors of the intestinal mucosa, have a very mild laxative effect. Possessing diuretic, vasodilating, antimicrobial, disinfectant and expectorant effects, plants containing glycosides are used in the treatment of skin diseases, kidney stone and gallstone diseases.

resins

Action:

• disinfect wounds, contributing to their rapid healing;
• fight microbes;
• strengthen the immune system.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) is one of the most powerful antioxidants, with the help of which all those oxidized products that adversely affect healthy cells are removed from the body.

To prepare the tincture, 100 g of crushed herb plants are poured with a liter of dry white wine. Next, the tincture is placed in a dark and always cool place for three weeks, while the product should be shaken regularly. Before use, the tincture is filtered. It is taken in a teaspoon three times a day.

Infusion

Hyssop infusion has a stimulating effect on the secretion of the digestive glands, it increases appetite and reduces fermentation processes in the intestines. Externally, the infusion is used as a rinse for diseases of the oral cavity and pharynx (the eyes are also washed with infusion for conjunctivitis). It has been proven that the infusion helps to neutralize the herpes virus, therefore, hyssop is used externally during an exacerbation of this disease.

Place 20 g of dry and chopped hyssop grass in a thermos and pour a liter of boiling water, leaving to infuse for 25 minutes. The infusion is filtered and taken in half a glass no more than three times a day.

Syrup

The syrup is used primarily as an effective expectorant.

To prepare syrup at home, you need a ready-made infusion, prepared at the rate of 100 g of raw materials per liter of boiling water, leave for half an hour and strain. Then add one and a half kilograms of sugar to the infusion and evaporate the agent to the consistency of syrup. Syrup is taken in a tablespoon up to five times a day.

Essential oil of hyssop

To obtain the essential oil, the flowering tops of the aerial shoots of hyssop are processed by steam distillation. The resulting oil is yellow-green in color, fluidity and astringent sweetish aroma.
The action of hyssop essential oil:

• improving well-being;
• uplifting mood;
• increase in endurance;
• removal of spasm;
• calming the nervous system;
• elimination or reduction of the manifestation of allergic reactions;
• contributing to an increase in pressure;
• stop inflammatory processes;
• improvement of the cardiovascular system;
• elimination of manifestations of dependence on weather conditions;
• elimination of gastric and intestinal colic;
• normalization of lung function (has an expectorant effect);
• reduction of gas formation;
• promoting the dissolution of stones and resorption of hematomas;
• normalization menstrual cycle;
• promoting the reduction of warts and corns.

Ways to use essential oil:
1. Aroma burners: 4 - 5 drops are added to the lamp.
2. Hot inhalation: 5 drops of oil are added to hot water, after which steam is inhaled for 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Cold inhalations: inhale hyssop essential oil for 5-6 minutes.
4. Baths: in warm water while taking a bath, 10 drops of oil are added. Such a bath can be taken no longer than 7 - 10 minutes.
5. Cold compresses: oil is applied to wounds, acne, eczema, bruising, as well as warts and bruises.
6. Additives in cosmetics: in a cream, tonic or lotion, it is recommended to add 3 drops of oil per 5 g of base.
7. Massage : 10 drops of hyssop essential oil are mixed with 20 ml of simple vegetable oil, after which the body is rubbed with the resulting mixture for colds, bronchitis, rheumatism and joint pain.
8. Aroma medallions: 2-3 drops of oil are added to the medallion.
9. Internal use: as alcohol tincture, prepared at the rate of 10 - 20 drops of oil in half a glass of water.

When applying hyssop essential oil, a slight tingling sensation may be felt. Redness may also appear on the skin, but all these reactions are quite natural, and therefore do not require special treatment.

Contraindications for use:

• pregnancy;
• individual intolerance;
• diagnosed epilepsy;
• frequent muscle cramps.

Hyssop - honey plant

Hyssop is a wonderful honey plant that gives first-class and fragrant medicinal honey, which will help to improve the functioning of the digestive tract, strengthen the immune system, and cure respiratory diseases.

Hyssop honey is rightfully considered one of the best varieties. So, the abundant and fairly long flowering of this plant, its strong nectar production, a high degree of frost resistance, as well as active visits by bees and the most useful medicinal properties make this culture truly promising.

Hyssop honey, added to tea, will help to quickly get rid of cough, diarrhea, as well as flatulence. In addition, such honey will strengthen the stomach and increase appetite.

Hyssop for cough

A decoction (or tea) from hyssop is distinguished not only by its pleasant mint taste, but also by its beneficial properties. This drink, which can be sweetened with honey, contains a large amount of flavonoids, tannin and essential oil (these components dilute sputum and contribute to its easier and faster discharge from the bronchi). Therefore, it is not surprising that hyssop tea is indicated for bronchial infections, asthma, sore throats, and also colds.

In addition, hyssop has astringent properties, thanks to which it promotes the process of digestion, normalizes blood pressure, effectively fights fever and soothes nervous system.

For the preparation of healing tea 4 tbsp. dry and crushed hyssop leaves are placed in a bowl, pouring four glasses of boiling water. The remedy is infused for 10 minutes, filtered and taken during the day in a warm form.

Hyssop can also be used in collections. So, for cough or bronchitis, the plant can be taken with coltsfoot, while for throat diseases - with sage, and for colds - with mint.

Hyssop for asthma

The current prevalence of asthma worldwide is between 4 and 10 percent. It is extremely important to identify and treat this inflammatory airway disease in a timely manner, which can lead to the development of such serious diseases as emphysema, as well as infectious bronchitis and the so-called "cor pulmonale".

Hyssop will help to cope with asthma, which will relieve spasms, which, in turn, will reduce the number and frequency of asthma attacks. There are cases when, with the help of this plant, asthma was completely cured (of course, we are not talking about hereditary form this disease).

With bronchial asthma, it is recommended to take this infusion: 3 tbsp. chopped herbs are placed in a thermos and poured with a liter of boiling water (the thermos does not close immediately, but after 5 minutes). The remedy is infused for an hour, filtered, poured back into the thermos. Such an infusion is taken one glass hot three times a day, 20 minutes before eating. The course of treatment is one month.

You can also overcome asthma attacks with the help of the following recipe: grind a glass of hyssop leaves into powder and mix with a glass of honey. This remedy is taken one teaspoon three times a day before meals, washed down with water.

Contraindications

Hyssop belongs to the category of potent (albeit slightly poisonous) plants, so its use must be approached with the utmost care. A visit to the doctor is recommended, which will help you choose the dosage.

Important! Long-term use of hyssop preparations without interruption is undesirable.

Hyssop in large doses can provoke spasms, and therefore this plant is contraindicated in patients with epilepsy. With extreme caution, people suffering from increased acidity of the stomach, hypertension (hyssop increases blood pressure) and kidney diseases should also treat this spice with extreme caution.

Hyssop for children

Hyssop is, as mentioned above, a poisonous plant, so giving it to children under the age of 12 is not recommended. If the expediency of using the plant is confirmed by a doctor, then it is necessary to strictly adhere to the dosages prescribed by him, which differ significantly from adults in a smaller direction.

Gauze compresses soaked in a decoction of hyssop can be used in the treatment of wounds and bruises in children.

In the old days, it was believed that this plant helps to cope with bad dreams, for which hyssop was added to the stuffing of mattresses (a small bag of hyssop grass was also prepared in advance, which was placed under the child's pillow).

Hyssop during pregnancy

Drugs containing hyssop are contraindicated in pregnancybecause they can cause miscarriage.

The use of hyssop in cooking

For the prevention of colds, for raising vitality and fortifications immune system, as well as to give dishes an aroma and a piquant taste, hyssop is used in cooking.

Important! After adding hyssop to the dish, the dishes must not be covered with a lid (otherwise, the aroma of the whole dish can be spoiled).

Recipes with hyssop

Tonic infusion

1 tbsp chopped hyssop herb is poured with a glass of boiling water, and then infused in a boiling water bath (necessarily in a sealed container!) for 15 minutes. chilled at room temperature the infusion is drunk one fourth cup no more than four times a day, 15 minutes before eating. This infusion is recommended for cancer patients.

Decoction for tuberculosis

To prepare this recipe, you need to grind and mix a handful of hyssop with 12 figs. The resulting mass is boiled in 1200 ml of water until the liquid volume is reduced to 800 ml. Strained and cooled broth is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, one teaspoonful.

Expectorant

1 tbsp hyssop herbs poured into three glasses hot water, infused for 40 minutes, carefully filtered and taken with colds inflammatory nature, with shortness of breath and runny nose, 150 - 200 ml three times a day. The same decoction can be used to gargle.

Infusion for gastrointestinal diseases, anemia and excessive sweating

1 tsp herbs (including flowers) of hyssop pour a glass of boiling water, leave for two hours and drink 0.5 cup three times a day.

Recipes for respiratory diseases

To prepare a decoction, both fresh and dry hyssop grass can be used:
1. When using fresh herb 2 tsp. raw materials are poured with a glass of water, after which the product is brought to a boil over low heat, after removing from which the broth is infused for five minutes.
2. When using dry herb 2 tsp. raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water, infused for 15 minutes, filtered.

The remedy is taken two glasses a day, 30 minutes before eating or one hour after. Before each reception, a fresh portion of hyssop is brewed.

The above recipes, firstly, promote sputum discharge, and secondly, effectively reduce the temperature. In addition, the infusion and decoction of hyssop will help relieve sore throat with the initial signs of a sore throat.

If desired, you can add a teaspoon of honey to the decoction or infusion, which will enhance the healing properties of the drink.

Tincture to increase appetite

Pour 20 g of raw material with 200 ml of vodka and leave the product to infuse in a dark place for a week, after which the tincture is filtered through a double layer of gauze. A tincture is taken about two to three times a day, one teaspoonful. The same tincture can be rinsed oral cavity, after diluting a teaspoon of the product in 250 ml of warm water. Before use, you should consult with a specialist.

Hyssop is a perennial semi-shrub plant that blooms in purple, blue, white, pink or pink from June to October. blue flowers, few know. But this is unique ornamental plant has a lot healing properties. Hyssop or blue St. John's wort has a strong spicy aroma, and is an excellent honey plant.

An unpretentious, winter-hardy, drought-resistant shrub can be grown in almost any region of our country.

Features of hyssop, photos and varieties

The blue St. John's wort reaches a height of 50–70 cm and has many erect, tetrahedral shoots branching from below. Opposite small leaves dark green plants. Young shoots are green at first, turning brown over time.

The lip-flowered small flowers of hyssop are located on the upper part of the bush in the axils of the leaves. As a result, a long spike-shaped inflorescence is formed. The long decorative effect of the plant is preserved due to the fact that the flowering is stretched. Flowers do not open all at once, but gradually. To prolong the flowering of blue St. John's wort until the frost, you can cut off faded inflorescences. In this case, the bush will branch out and form new buds.

After flowering, yellowing boxes with small, dark brown seed nuts are formed on the plant. Their germination persists for three to four years.

There are over forty-five types of hyssop. The most popular varieties:

Features of growing hyssop

For good growth plant is planted on sunny areas. In the shade, the shrub will not bloom. Hyssop releases tannins, so it is not recommended to place it next to vegetable crops.

Planting blue hypericum

The plant is undemanding to soils, however, acidic soil must be limed. It is recommended to dig up the land for planting hyssop in the fall. At the same time, the soil is cleared of weeds and fertilized:

• rotted manure;
• potassium salt;
• superphosphate.

If it was not possible to prepare the soil in the fall, then in the spring for each square meter earth should be poured one glass of wood ash.

Care

Hyssop refers to winter-hardy, drought-resistant plants, so its cultivation will not be special work. During the active growth of the plant, you must follow a few easy rules:

Hyssop growing in one place for more than five years is recommended to be rejuvenated by dividing the root system.

Hyssop breeding

The shrub propagates in three ways:

• cuttings;
• dividing the bush;
• sowing seeds.

The division of the bush

This is the easiest way to reproduce. For this bushes dig up in spring and are separated. The resulting plots, when planted, are slightly deepened and well watered.

Experienced gardeners know an even simpler way to reproduce this hyssop.

1. In autumn, the lower part of all shoots of the bush is covered with fertile soil.
2. The plant is periodically watered.
3. In the spring, roots should grow on each shoot.
4. The bush itself can not be dug up, but simply separate the shoots and plant them half a meter apart.

cuttings

You can root cuttings from spring to late summer. The pieces must be 10 cm long, and land in a prepared earthen mixture consisting of sand and peat. You can plant them in garden soil, but in this case, the cuttings will take root worse.

For faster rooting, cuttings can be covered with glass or plastic wrap. Landings need to be regularly moistened, and ensure that direct sunlight does not fall on them.

Growing hyssop from seeds

Shrub seeds are planted in open ground before winter, or sown to obtain seedlings in the spring.

Hyssop seeds are harvested during the browning period, shortly before they ripen. The inflorescences are cut and laid out for a while on paper. Over time they need to be hung upside down. Ripe seeds will begin to fall asleep.

When planting seeds for seedlings, sowing is done in March.

1. Seeds need to be mixed with sand, cover the container for seedlings with polyethylene or glass and put in a warm place.
2. When two true leaves appear, the senets dive into separate pots.
3. Around the end of May, when the soil is already warm, and the seedlings will have 5-6 true leaves, they can be planted in a permanent place in open ground.
4. The distance between young plants should be 25–35 cm.
5. Seedlings are buried no more than 5–10 cm. The growth point should be on the surface.

It takes about 50–60 days from sowing seeds for seedlings to planting young plants in open ground.

Blue St. John's wort can be planted with seeds immediately in open ground. To do this, the soil is dug up and fertilized. Then furrows are made in it, into which seeds mixed with sand are sown. From above, the crops are sprinkled with soil no more than 1 cm thick.

So that when watering a crust does not form on the soil, and it is not washed away, it is recommended to cover the crops from above with mulch. Seeds sown before winter cannot be mulched. Otherwise, you can provoke aging.

At a temperature of + 2C, the seeds will begin to hatch, and in about two weeks the first shoots will appear.

Application of hyssop

Even in ancient times, monks used shrubs to cleanse temples. Bunches of plants were hung throughout the room.

Hyssop was used to purify the air and expel lice. It was used in the manufacture of wines and added to liquors.

Currently, decoctions and infusions are prepared from the plant, which are used to treat:

• bruises;
• bruises;
• eczema;
• skin irritation;
• herpes;
• burns;
• abscesses.

Lotions from decoctions can help bruises quickly resolve, and heal wounds.

For the treatment of colds and bronchitis, tea is brewed from hyssop:

1. Finely chop fresh herbs.
2. Two teaspoons pour 250 ml of cold water.
3. Bring to a boil and insist for five minutes.

You can the same amount, but dry grass, just brew a glass of boiling water, and let it brew for no more than 15 minutes. Apply 100 grams five times a day.

A hyssop compress is prepared from thirty grams of dry grass and five hundred milliliters of boiling water. Infused for fifteen minutes. A clean gauze or napkin soaked in the infusion is applied to the sores or chest.

The use of decoctions and infusions from hyssop is contraindicated:

• pregnant and lactating mothers;
• children under two years old;
• patients with epilepsy;
• hypertensive patients.

Blue hypericum in cooking

A wonderful spicy seasoning that stimulates the appetite is the hyssop plant. As a seasoning, the tops of young shoots are used during the blooming of the first flowers. You need to cut them with leaves of inflorescences and buds.

Dried and fresh fragrant greens of the plant can be used to add flavor to bean, meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. Spicy flavor will give hyssop processed cheese or cottage cheese. Greens can be used to make alcoholic beverages and flavored vinegar.

The plant is very useful for digestion. It has a mild laxative effect and promotes the breakdown of dietary fats.

In the garden, hyssop can be grown in a single or group planting. It will look good along the paths, in rockeries among the stones or in a flower bed among herbs. In addition, an unpretentious shrub in cultivation Can be used for cooking and medicinal purposes. The plant can be an excellent reason to take up beekeeping, as bees literally stick to this very strong honey plant.

Hyssop (Hyssópus) is a perennial fragrant grass or semi-shrub of the Lamiaceae family, sometimes a branched shrub 50-60 cm high. The stem is rigid, the leaves are linear oblong, dark green, the edges are omitted. The flowers are zygomorphic, blue, white or pink, collected in apical spicate inflorescences growing from the axils of the leaves.

Each flower blooms for a short time, then a new one blooms. The flowering period is July-August. The fruits are nut-shaped, ripen in September. Hyssop is considered winter-hardy and drought tolerant plant. Propagated by seeds, cuttings or division.

In some places, this plant is called blue St. John's wort. In total, about 50 species of hyssop are known, growing in the south of Siberia, in Asia, regions of the Caucasus, middle lane Russia. The plant is not demanding on soils, prefers the steppe terrain or rocky slopes and gently sloping dry hills.

Useful properties of hyssop

Herbalists deservedly call hyssop the same as St. John's wort - a cure for a hundred diseases.

• Hyssop received the widest use of medicinal properties in the treatment of colds;

• Herbalists advise using it directly to treat colds, bronchitis, tracheitis, laryngitis and hoarseness in the voice;

• Hyssop helps with stomatitis or other diseases of the oral cavity;

• The antiviral effect of the herb provides tangible help with conjunctivitis;

• Normalizes digestion, improves appetite. Helps with intestinal catarrh, chronic constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence and chronic colitis. And not only relieves all symptoms, but also contributes to a complete recovery;

• Actively fights against bad smell from mouth;

• If you have no contraindications to the use of hyssop, then use funds from it to treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels, angina pectoris, anemia, rheumatism, increased sweating;

• In addition, the medicinal plant is an excellent biostimulant. Your memory will improve significantly, it will be much easier to focus your attention if you just drink tea brewed with a plant;

• Hyssop gently removes the manifestations of depression, while not causing drowsiness - this is its undoubted advantage;

• The diuretic effect of blue St. John's wort will save you from fine sand in the kidneys;

• Grass is a natural natural anthelmintic agent, often used in folk medicine to expel helminths.

External use of products with hyssop:

The disinfectant, wound healing and antimicrobial therapeutic effect of hyssop is used here.

• Purulent diseases of the skin.
• Bruises, bruises.
• Dermatitis.
• Eczema.
• Edema.
• Burn.

Contraindications to the use of hyssop

Before using a medicinal plant, it should be noted that hyssop has a number of contraindications:

• Hyssop is not recommended for people with high acidity;

• Long-term use of infusion with hypotension, nephritis and nephrosis contributes to the appearance of side effects;

• A decoction of hyssop helps to reduce and stop lactation, so pregnant and lactating women are strictly prohibited from taking it;

• The essential oils contained in the plant have a negative effect on the body of people suffering from epilepsy and neuropathy;

• The use of hyssop in the form of a tincture should be discontinued in case of diarrhea and indigestion;

• Children and adolescents should take the infusion with caution, since the oils that make up the plant have a potent effect;

• Children under 2 years of age are strictly prohibited from taking hyssop.

Dosage forms of hyssop

Most often, hyssop is used in medicine in the form of decoctions, tinctures, teas and infusions. Decoctions are usually used to treat respiratory diseases and eliminate inflammation of the urinary tract, they also help fight colds. Tinctures - for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, they will be especially useful for colitis and swelling, as well as externally for the treatment of hematomas, wounds and other skin lesions. Infusions are used for rinsing the throat and mouth with inflammation of the mucous membranes and stomatitis, with conjunctivitis for washing the eyes, they also improve appetite. Tea is useful for coughs, sore throats and colds. In addition, this remedy improves digestion, increases blood pressure, calms the nervous system and reduces fever.

• Decoction of hyssop. Place 100 grams of dried, chopped grass and hyssop flowers in a liter of boiling water, then boil the composition for about five minutes. Strain the finished product and mix with 150 grams of sugar. You can drink no more than 100 ml of decoction per day, it is advisable to divide this dose into three to four doses;

• Hyssop infusion. Pour 20 grams of the dried plant into a thermos, then pour a liter of boiling water there. After half an hour, the product will be ready, pour it out of the thermos, and then strain. The infusion should be taken three times a day. In this case, a single dose should be half a glass;

• Hyssop tincture. Mix dry white wine (1 liter) with 100 grams of dried herbs. Soak the product for three weeks in a cool, obligatory, dark place, shaking the container with it daily. Take strained tincture three times a day for a teaspoon.

Traditional medicine recipes based on hyssop

1. Bronchial asthma and suffocation can be prevented with the help of infusion, for this you need to take 4 tablespoons of grass, grind it thoroughly, put it in a thermos, pour 1 liter of water, leave for 1 hour. Then strain. You need to take it hot 30 minutes before meals, 1 tbsp. The course of treatment is 1 month.

2. When sick gastrointestinal tract, hyperhidrosis, you can drink such a decoction, this will require a teaspoon of small flowers, insist 2 hours, take 3 times a day. It is good to wash the eyes with this decoction if they are affected by conjunctivitis.

3. You can cure tinnitus and shortness of breath with the help of powdered leaves, be sure to add honey. You need to take an infusion of 1 tsp. 3 times a day, drink water.

4. If a person is often worried about respiratory diseases, you can apply this recipe - take 2 teaspoons of dried leaves, pour 1 cup of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Take half a glass twice a day. In cases of bronchitis, you need to take a teaspoon of hyssop, add mother and stepmother, pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes. Drink 2 times a day.

5. You can overcome a cold with this recipe: mix hyssop with mint, pour 200 ml of boiling water, insist, take 1 cup 2 times a day.

6. Collection of sage, hyssop will help to get rid of laryngitis and pharyngitis, for this you need to mix everything thoroughly, pour a glass of boiling water, insist and drink. Take twice a day for one week.

7. A recipe based on hyssop and white wine will help get rid of flatulence and colitis, leave for one month, shake and take.

8. In cases of impaired appetite, you need to take a decoction of hyssop grass, it will require two tablespoons of chopped grass, leave for one hour, strain.

9. Rinse your mouth with gingivitis, stomatitis, you need an infusion of hyssop, it will require 120 ml of alcohol, 20 grams of grass, insist for one week, strain. Take a teaspoon of tincture, dilute it in water, rinse your mouth with it.

Hyssop in cooking

As a spice in hyssop, leaves and the non-woody part of the twigs are used. Hyssop has a spicy, tart and slightly bitter taste and a pronounced aroma, which makes it an important component of many dishes, contributing not only to improving their quality, but also enriching them with useful substances.

In home cooking, fresh leaves and tops of twigs with flowers are used, which are added to minced meats, soups and pates. This seasoning is often used for stuffing sausages and eggs. Hyssop is considered indispensable in the preparation of dishes such as fried pork, stew, beef zrazy. Hyssop goes well with cottage cheese dishes, but it is added to vegetable side dishes and dishes in small quantities and with caution. A very small amount of flowering twigs will add aroma and improve the taste of tomato and cucumber salads. In the countries of the East, hyssop is used even in the preparation of drinks.

If dried hyssop is used (drying leaves and twigs), then you can add them to all kinds of dishes, observing the rules for laying this spice.

Norms for laying dried hyssop greens for one serving of the product:

• 0.5 g of dry green hyssop is added to the first courses;
• in the second courses - 0.3 g of dried hyssop;
• in sauces add - 0.2 g of dry hyssop.

The secret of cooking dishes with hyssop: after this spice has been added, the dishes do not need to be covered with a lid, because this will spoil the aroma of the whole dish. In any case, hyssop should not be used in large doses, it can be combined with other spices, such as parsley, dill, mint, fennel, celery, basil, marjoram.

Essential oil of hyssop

Hyssop essential oil is very popular. It perfectly calms the "frivolous" nerves, relieves spasms, fights allergies. Women often use it to normalize the menstrual cycle. The oil perfectly relieves meteorological dependence and helps to reduce warts and calluses.

The use of essential oils is also varied. As aromatic baths, it is enough to add 10 drops of oil to warm water and 10 minutes of bliss and healing are provided. You should not abuse being in such a bath; since hyssop, although it is medicinal plant and has enough useful properties, still applies to weakly poisonous plants, and in certain cases is contraindicated for use.

As inhalations, water vapor is inhaled for 5-7 minutes with the addition of 5 drops of essential oil. Acne, bruises and bruises, warts, eczema, wounds are often smeared with essential oil.

For colds and joint pains, a massage using essential oil will come in handy. To do this, 10 drops of ether are mixed with 20 ml of any oil. plant origin and rubbed into the body. After applying the oil to the body, as a rule, there is a slight tingling or redness of the skin. You should not worry about this, this is a natural property of the plant.

Harvesting hyssop

Herbalists advise collecting hyssop during full bloom, at sunrise, in the first phase of the moon - then it has full healing power and will bring maximum benefit.

• Before you cut the grass, be sure to say hello to it and ask permission to collect it. With therapeutic purpose cut off flowering tops;

• To properly dry the grass, collect it in small bunches and hang it in a ventilated place, but away from the sun;

• It is better to store hyssop in a hermetically sealed vessel.

In our country, the plant has long been grown under industrial conditions, but they do this mainly to isolate the most valuable essential oil from it.

A light, pure herb, hyssop, which has wonderful healing properties and a minimum of contraindications, regulates the energy of a person as a whole and has a powerful healing effect.