Wild Things: Hops, an easy-to-grow climber

Do you need a sturdy vine to act as a privacy barrier on a fence? Or like the look of a vining plant up over an archway? Well, hops is your friend.

Hops is also your friend if you like some of Asheville’s local beers. The female flowers of the Humulus lupulus plant are used as a flavoring and stabilizing factor in beer. They give it a slightly bitter, tangy taste that some of the more famous Asheville beers are known for (Asheville Brewing’s Shiva IPA or Pisgah Brewing’s IPA come to mind). Hops helps the beer-making process because the chemical properties in hops help the yeast flourish, rather than other microorganisms.

Even if you’re a non-beer-drinking gardener, hops is a fun plant to have around. A perennial vine and vigorous climber, it is trained to grow up on strings or wires in high-production settings. The leaves are heart shaped and deeply lobed, with coarse-toothed edges that help make it rough to the touch. The stems are more like tendrils that attach themselves and wind around anything and everything, carrying the vine both high and wide. Top foliage will die back in the cold, but the underground rhizome remains to emerge in the spring with new shoots.

Make sure to plant it somewhere far away from other things — a place you don’t mind it taking over — as it is considered an invasive plant in some parts of the country. When growing for production, hops requires deep rich soil, plenty of air circulation and full sun. But if you’re growing it for fun and don’t have attachment to the most or best flowers, it grows quite fine in our thick, clay, mountainous soils. The easiest way to start a plant, again if you’re not picky about a specific variety, is to get part of a rhizome or even a sucker from one already growing.

Interestingly, hops is in the Cannabaceae family, the same family as cannabis, which may account for some of its similar qualities. And it may aid in the relaxed feeling that beer drinkers report. Many herbalists use a tea or tincture of hops to aid in sleep or with a general restlessness or overstimulation. Chemically, it is a very safe sedative with nerve tonic properties and slight pain relieving qualities. You can harvest your own flowers for at-home experiments, after the third year when they are established enough to start producing.

Lee Walker Warren is a homesteader, herbalist, writer and manager of Imani Farm, a pasture-based cooperative farm at Earthaven Ecovillage. She lives a deeply integrated and authentic life, formed by 15 years of community living, a commitment to regenerative systems, and a drive towards sacred embodiment. Find her at reclaimingwisdom.com(reclaimingwisdom.com).

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Lee Warren
Lee Warren is a homesteader, herbalist, writer and the manager of Imani Farm, a pasture-based cooperative farm at Earthaven Ecovillage. She is also a co-founder of the Village Terraces CoHousing Neighborhood and the Program Coordinator for the Southeast Women’s Herbal Conference. For more information on the 8th annual event, visit sewisewomen.com.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.