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Humilus lupinus (Hops)
Hops were originally used by the Greeks as a salad plant, and today, young hop shoots are still eaten by some. The pine-cone-like scales or bracts of hops contain lupulin, a substance made up of resins and essential oils that give beer, ale, and other malt beverages their characteristic bitter flavor. Typically, one-half to one and a quarter pounds of hops are used for a 31-gallon barrel of beer.
Hops are long-lived perennials, grown like pole beans on 10-foot tall poles spaced 4-8 feet apart. At harvest time, the vines are lowered, and the green hops are picked and dried. They can also be grown on fences or walls. The above-ground growth of hops dies back in winter, and in spring, this perennial regenerates from the ground, quickly establishing itself by late spring. Hops grow well in Zones 3-8.
Plant Characteristics
This information is accurate to the best of our knowledge.