Hyssop is a perennial medicinal herb, long valued for its traditional uses. It's hardy across USDA zones 3 through 9 and stands up to deer. Its summer flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Zones
3-9
pH Range
5.5-8.5
Sun
Part Sun
Days to Maturity
85
Score Hyssop on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether hyssop actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score hyssop against your land's real conditions.
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What Hyssop is
Hyssop grows as a perennial and reaches around two feet at maturity. It blooms blue in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Hyssop
Hyssop grows in USDA zones 3 through 9 and is ready to harvest about 85 days after planting. Hyssop does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 8.5, on well-drained to fast-draining ground. It needs around 900 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 180 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
3-9
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 8.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells), excessive (dry/moderately dry)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Tolerance
44.6°F
The lowest temperature it shrugs off — below this, expect damage without cover.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Days to Maturity
85 days
Hyssop; perennial; pollinator-friendly. Drought-tolerant.
USDA-NRCS; UMD-Herb
GDD Required
900+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
2 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
180+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant hyssop in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Hyssop prefers pH 5.5 to 8.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Harvest the part you grow hyssop for — flower, leaf, or root — at its seasonal peak.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — hyssop isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Hyssop is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society.)
Before you harvest hyssop, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant hyssop for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Where Hyssop thrives
Hyssop is hardy across USDA zones 3 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 3–9·Where Hyssop growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Hyssop can grow in these states:
See if Hyssop will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether hyssop actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Hyssop in my zone?
Hyssop grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Hyssop take to grow?
Hyssop is ready to harvest about 85 days after planting (USDA-NRCS; UMD-Herb). Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Hyssop?
Hyssop is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Hyssop need?
Hyssop does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Hyssop need?
Hyssop prefers soil pH 5.5 to 8.5, on well-drained to fast-draining ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Hyssop attract pollinators?
Yes — hyssop's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. (Source: Xerces Society.)
Is Hyssop safe for pets?
Hyssop is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)