The hyssop melliferous plant is a perennial fragrant herb or shrub from the lamb family. Representatives of this genus are found in Asia (central and middle part), the Mediterranean, in the European part of Russia (southern and middle zone), in the south of Western Siberia, the Caucasus, and Ukraine. The second name, known among the people, is St. John’s wort blue.
The honey plant is valued for its long, profuse flowering, accompanied by a strong release of nectar. Moreover, semi-shrub forms continue to bloom even after pruning.
The content of the article
- 1 Significance in agriculture
- 1.1 Drug
- 1.2 Chalky
- 2 Agrotechnics
- 3 Honey productivity
- 4 Useful Properties
Significance in agriculture
Hyssop is a plant that is often mentioned in the Bible. It was widely used not only in religious ceremonies, but also as a medicine, food supplement.
Nowadays, aromatic oil is obtained from this honey plant, which is used for the production of liqueurs and perfumery. Dry leaves and inflorescences are used to brew tea. In dry form, chopped foliage is added to salads, used for salting vegetables, preparing second and first courses, stewing meat.
The most valuable varieties for apiaries:
- drug;
- chalky.
Drug
Hyssop officinalis is a semi-shrub, reaching a height of 50-60 centimeters. In one place it grows up to ten years. Its numerous branches are covered with elongated dark green leaves.
The flowers are small, irregular in shape, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, blue, pink or purple. One such spikelet-shoot, starting from 2 years of age, can hold up to 1 blossoming flowers! Flowering lasts up to two months (000-45 days on average).
The first inflorescences appear in the year of sowing from about mid-July to the end of August. The amount of nectar released directly depends on the weather conditions and the location of the flowers on the spikelets.
The plant is unpretentious – it tolerates frost in winter and extreme heat with drought in summer. Often grown as an ornamental shrub. Grows wild in the Kursk, Samara regions, found in the Ukraine and the Caucasus.
Chalky
This herbaceous variety of hyssop got its name from the soil on which it prefers to grow – the chalk deposits of the steppe regions of the European part of our continent.
The stems of the grass are erect, ending in spikelets of inflorescences. Height from 20 to 60 centimeters. The leaves are small, lanceolate. The flowers are dark blue. After flowering on the shoots, fruits are formed in the form of nuts.
This culture has suffered from human economic activity, in connection with which it was listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and many constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
Grows wild in the south of Ukraine, in the Volgograd, Kursk, Rostov, Saratov, Voronezh regions of Russia.
Agrotechnics
Hyssop melliferous plant, which takes root well on light soils, chalk deposits. They planted it in areas open to the sun.
It is not recommended to breed honey plants in wetlands! The best place for him is steppe areas on rocky slopes.
Seeds (tetrahedral small dark brown nuts) are sown in loose soil in early spring or autumn to a depth of no more than 0,5 centimeters.
Honey productivity
Hyssop is extremely productive as a honey plant. The output of nectar is from 120 to 330 and more kilograms per hectare of dense plantings of grass or semi-shrub.
Commercial honey belongs to the best varieties. It has a pleasant herbaceous aroma. The color is light yellow, transparent. The sugar content in nectar depends on the weather, the age of the hyssop and the location of its flowers on the spikelet.
Useful Properties
Monofloral (pure) hyssop honey is difficult to obtain due to the abundant flowering of other melliferous plants in summer.
Essential oils, vitamins, flavonoids, vegetable acids that make up honey make it useful:
- with diseases of the digestive system;
- with inflammation of the ENT organs, in particular with bronchitis;
- for cuts, abscesses, wounds, burns on the skin;
- for hair growth, improving the color and condition of the skin of the face (collagen fibers are restored);
- to strengthen the immune system.
For diarrhea and flatulence, hyssop honey is added to warm water or unheated tea. In addition, this product is able to improve appetite and stomach function.
