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Humulus lupulus - Hop

Humulus lupulus
Common Hop, Hop

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Hops is a vigorous perennial liana, deciduous in winter, traditionally cultivated for its cones that flavour beer. It is also an ornamental plant, perfect for covering a wire fence, whose young shoots can be consumed like asparagus. The cones are also used in herbal medicine. Sowing produces male plants and female plants, the latter being recognizable by their cone-shaped flowering. Male plants are essential for obtaining seeds, but they do not produce aromatic cones. Sowing is a bit technical, it requires prior seed stratification.
Ease of cultivation
Experienced
Height at maturity
7 m
Spread at maturity
3 m
Soil moisture
Moist soil
Germination time (days)
30 days
Sowing period January to March, November to December
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F
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A
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Flowering time July to September
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A
M
J
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N
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Harvest time April, September
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F
M
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Description

Hops, in Latin Humulus lupulus, is a vigorous perennial vine that is both ornamental, medicinal, and aromatic. With beautiful foliage from spring to autumn, it is traditionally cultivated for its cones, which are the flowers of the female plants, used to flavour beer. Its young spring shoots can also be consumed like asparagus. In ornamental gardens, hops climb and cover any available support with a cloak of greenery. The seeds produce male and female plants, which can be identified during flowering. Hop seed germination is a bit technical and requires prior seed stratification. This plant thrives in moist soils, even clayey ones, as well as slightly shaded areas. 

 

Humulus lupulus belongs to the Cannabaceae family, just like hemp and hackberry. It is native to Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa, where it inhabits cool and humid areas. Hops are found throughout most of our territory, including Corsica. It is a herbaceous vine that is perennial thanks to its large fleshy root, which regenerates all its aerial growth each year and rests underground during winter. Hops are a dioecious plant, meaning there are male and female plants. Once well rooted, a hop plant is capable of producing stems that can reach 8-10 metres (26-33 feet) in a season.

Hops develop herbaceous and voluble stems from their base in spring. They quickly entwine any available support. Their stems have a quadrangular section and bear small hooks that allow the plant to cling to its support. The leaves are nicely divided into 3 to 5 ovate, pointed, and serrated lobes. The colour of the leaves is a fresh green in spring, turning to a deeper green in summer. The inflorescences appear in summer, from June to August depending on the climate. On male plants, they take the form of light, semi-erect panicles, 7 to 14cm (3 to 6in) long, emerging from the axils of the leaves. The tiny flowers have 5 greenish sepals surrounding 5 stamens. The female flowers are cone-shaped catkins that are green-yellow in colour. After pollination by a male plant, seeds develop within the cones. The cones are ovoid in shape, have a scaly appearance, and are covered with a fragrant and powdery resin called lupulin. They are usually harvested in September. The fruits are globose and gray achenes, about 3mm (0in) long, each containing a single seed that will be dispersed by the wind.

 

In ornamental gardens, hops can quickly hide an unsightly fence or garden shed during the growing season. This vine's natural charm provides an excellent complement to a climbing rose and pairs well with a robust blue-flowered clematis like 'Blue Angel'. It gives new life to an old tree, conceals a tired garden shelter or unsightly structure, and adds a golden glow to a trellis or terrace arbor. The flowers, harvested in September, make beautiful dried bouquets. In the past, they were used to fill pillows to promote sleep.

Harvest: female flowers should be harvested when the cones are still closed, before the scales open. The young shoots are cut in spring when they are still tender. They can be cooked and prepared like asparagus.

The female inflorescences, the cones, have been used to flavour beer since the 8th century. Previously, hops were only used to ensure the preservation of beer. Currently (despite modern preservation technologies), this tradition has remained for the slight bitterness and flavour that hops bring.

Gardener's tip: mulch the base of your hops in summer, as this will reduce the frequency of watering. Note that well-established plants in deep clayey soil can withstand moderate drought periods.

 

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Harvest

Harvest time April, September
Type of vegetable Stem vegetable
Vegetable colour green
Interest Flavour
Use Cooking

Plant habit

Height at maturity 7 m
Spread at maturity 3 m
Growth rate fast

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour green

Botanical data

Genus

Humulus

Species

lupulus

Family

Fabaceae (Papilionacea)

Other common names

Common Hop, Hop

Origin

Northern Europe

Annual / Perennial

Annual

Product reference1699101

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Planting and care

Hop Sowing:


It is necessary to stratify your hop seeds by leaving them in your refrigerator for a few weeks.
Then sow them in a tray filled with fine and moist seed compost, from November to March. Cover the seeds with a little seed compost and press down. Keep the compost moist until germination with a sprayer. Be careful not to soak the soil. The germination, which is long and quite difficult, can take 15 days to 2 months.
Wait 3 to 4 weeks after germination to transplant into pots, 6 to 8 weeks to plant permanently.  

Hop Planting:


Plant the young hop plants in the spring after the last frost in a sunny location with a rich and deep, well-drained soil. Space the plants  1m (3ft) apart.  

Hops are easy to grow in ordinary, deep soil and can tolerate all exposures, with a preference for partial shade. Direct sunlight would scorch its foliage. It shows a preference for clay-limestone and very fertile soils. Plant Hops in a soil that remains moist and provide a good base fertilizer at planting. It will cling to itself thanks to the small hooks on the voluble stems. Install a trellis if you want to cover a wall. Or stretch sturdy wires between two posts if you want to install it in the vegetable garden. Male plants, once identified, can be eliminated if you do not want seeds. The stems detach easily from their support in autumn, as they dry out and die with the first frost. Prune your plant every year to a height of 25cm (10in), in February or March; remember to remove (and possibly replant) the shoots that will otherwise become invasive.

 

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Seedlings

Sowing period January to March, November to December
Germination time (days) 30 days

Care

Soil moisture Tolerant
Disease resistance Very good
Pruning instructions Prune back hard in late winter.
Pruning Pruning recommended once a year
Pruning time February to March

Intended location

Type of use Climbing
Hardiness Hardy down to -20°C (USDA zone 6b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Experienced
Soil |Ordinary, deep, fertile
Exposure Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Clayey-chalky (heavy and alkaline), Silty-loamy (rich and light), 130

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