Hyssop EO

Latin name :

Hyssopus officinalis

Botanical profile :

Hyssop is a perennial shrub belonging to the Lamiaceae family (as Patchouli EO or Spearmint EO for example), and of the genus Hyssopus.

Geographic origin :

Originally from the Mediterranean region, hyssop is today cultivated mainly in Southern Europe (especially ex-Yugoslavia and Spain), in North Africa, and in North America since its importation.

Chemotypes :

Hyssopus officinalis is the only hyssop cultivated for its olfactory interest. Nevertheless, it comprises three major varieties :
Hyssopus officinalis ssp. officinalis, whose composition varies according to its country of origin - in ex-Yugoslavia, its composition is rich in Methyl Eugenol and D-Limonene; in Spain, it is rich in Eucalyptol; moreover, it is mainly composed of iso-pinocamphones.
Hyssopus officinalis ssp.canescens, grown in the south of the Alps, rich in Eucalyptol and Linalool.
Hyssopus officinalis ssp. aristatus, grown in Bulgaria and Spain, rich in Eucalyptol and iso-pinocamphones.
Hyssopus decubens, from Lure in Haute-Provence, rich in Linalool and Linalool Oxide.

Extraction process :

Hyssop grows in fairly dry, well-drained soil. Propagation of the plants is done by sowing seeds during spring, or by cutting old clumps, always during this season. Usually, the first plants appear in autumn, a few months after planting. It can be directly cultivated.
As the essential oil is mainly contained in the leaves, the stems are cut manually in the morning at their base when the flowers are open to three quarters of their potential. The plants are then left to dry before extraction.
Extraction is carried out in a distillation tank, under steam pressure. The essential oil is recovered by settling over the water in a Florentine vase, after cooling the vapours.
Yield for hyssop essential oil is of 0,15%. This can explain the price of this oil.

Major Components :

For Hyssopus officinalis ssp. officinalis species :
Iso-pinocamphone (30-35%)
Beta-Pinene (15-25%)
Pinocamphone (10-15%)
Phenol methyl ether (≈4%)
Beta-Caryophyllène (≈3%)
Myrtenol Methyl Ether (≈3%)