YELLOWSTONE ARBORETUM
" Stewards of the Natural Environment "
Billings, Montana @ ZooMontana
Humulus lupulus
All Common Names: Common hop, European hop
Family (English): Hemp
Family (Botanic): Cannabaceae
Tree or Plant Type: Vine
Native Locale: Non-native, North America
Landscape Uses: Container, Screen, Shade tree, Specimen
Size Range: Large plant (more than 24 inches)
Light Exposure: Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun/shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
Hardiness Zones: Zone 5 , Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8
Soil Preference: Dry soil, Moist, well-drained soil
Season of Interest: Mid summer, Late summer, Early fall
Flower Color & Fragrance: White
Shape or Form: Vining
Growth Rate: Fast
More Information:
Size and Method of Climbing
Common hop is a herbaceous vine growing 10 to 15 feet. It is a twining vine. Twining vines climb by twisting their stems or leaf stalks around a support. This type of vine grows well on trellises, arbors, wires or chain-link fences.
Plant Care
Grows well in both sun and part sun; prefers a moist, well-drained soil. Tolerant of some drought.
Disease, pests, and problems
Nothing serious, but aphids can be a pest.
Native geographic location and habitat
Populations are found both in Northern Europe and North America.
Catalogue A# 2018-022 and A# 2018-NA LX6
In case you've not figured it out...humulus lupulus is HOPS.
The Yellowstone Arboretum has 3 specimens of hops but only one is within reach of visitors and that specimen is located on the arbor in Dottie's Garden. We encourage you to stop and touch the plants, smell them and check out their growth patterns. The plants in Dotties were planted in 2018 and were vigorous in their first year of growth and are expected to do well in the microclimate of this garden. Another specimen is located on the center pole of the Lynx habitat and the third on the east side of the wolf building. The latter is not available for visitation.
Hops have been used almost exclusively for brewing purposes for 1,200 years or more. The brewing value of the cones is based on their content of bitter (soft) resins, essential oils, and perhaps tannins. These constituents, which are extracted from hops by boiling in wort (an aqueous infusion of malt), impart the desired mellow bitterness and delicate hop aroma to brewed beverages and aid in their preservation.
The common hop is a long-lived herbaceous perennial with rough twining stems, 8 metres (26 feet) long, that always wind in a clockwise direction. New vines (also called bines) are produced each season and die following maturity. The vines must be supported on sturdy trellises. An extensive root system penetrates the soil to a depth of 5 metres (16 feet) or more.
Hops are grown commercially over a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. In general, rich alluvial soils or deep sandy or gravelly, well-drained loams are preferred. Hops are commonly produced under irrigation in the United States where summertime precipitation is low. Irrigation is not practiced in England, where rainfall during the growing season is usually sufficient to raise the plants. Hop cones are harvested when fully mature, picked either by hand or by machine. Freshly picked hops have a high moisture content and must be dried in kilns before they can be used in brewing. After drying, they are cured and baled and are then ready for marketing. Major world producers include Germany, the United States, the Czech Republic, China, and England.
Types of Hops
Just as there are dozens of varietals of grapes used for winemaking, there are a ton of different kinds of hops available to brewers. And just like wine grapes, hops of different strains and from different growing regions bring to the table (or should I say kettle?) different flavors, aromas, and bittering capabilities.
For starters, hop strains differ in terms of their alpha acid and essential oil levels. Hops with high amounts of alpha acids are especially useful for adding sharp, angular bitterness to a finished beer. Hops with loads of essential oils contribute the most in terms of flavor and aroma. Some strains have sufficient levels of both to be appropriate for all three applications.
In general, hops strains are categorized by their geography of origin. The three most prominent categories are Noble hops, which come from Germany and the Czech Republic; American hops from the United States; and English hops, from–your guessed it–England. Within each category, there are many hop strains to choose from.
Noble Hops
Of the three categories, Noble hops, which includes strains like Saaz and Tettnanger, are considered the most classic. They are what lend traditional German and Czech pilsners and lagers their characteristic flavor profiles. Noble hops tend to be particularly rich in the high-aroma essential oil humulene and have low alpha acid levels.
American Hops
American hops, including heavy hitters like Cascade and Centennial, tend to be bold, bright, and highly aromatic. In general, they have higher amounts of the essential oil myrcene, which gives them their citrus and pine notes.
English Hops
In contrast, English hops (Fuggle is an example) have lower levels of myrcene. This allows the more subtle aromas of other essential oils to shine through. The profiles of English hops, therefore, tend to be more delicate and mild. Notes of earth, molasses, herbs, spice, and wood are common. English hops constitute only a small percentage of hops grown worldwide but are imperative to traditional British ales.
