Credit: Blickwinkel / Alamy Stock Photo
Where to find hop
Hop can be found across the UK apart from in some areas of Scotland. Spot it in flower between July and September, climbing hedgerows as well as trees and bushes in fens and riverbanks.
Hop (Humulus lupulus)
A twining hedgerow climber with a boozy use, hop has been used in the beer-making industry for centuries. Look out for it across the UK.
Quick facts
Common names: hop, common hop
Scientific name: Humulus lupulus
Family: Cannabaceae
Origin: native
Flowering season: July to September
Habitat: hedges and woodland edges
What does hop look like?
This hedgerow climber flowers between July and September.
Leaves: deeply divided with three to five lobes. The leaves are arranged opposite to each other. They are rough to the touch and have toothed margins.
Flowers: green-yellow in colour. Male flowers grow in a loose branching group, whereas female flowers are catkins, shaped like a cone. The male and female flowers grow on different plants.
Fruits: the female flower develops into the fruit which is cone-shaped and initially light green, turning to brown when it has ripened. It has a distinctive scent, a bit like garlic, apples and yeast.
Not to be confused with: white bryony (Bryonia dioica). This is also a climbing plant and it may be mistaken for hop. However, white bryony has distinctive five-lobed leaves and the leaf arrangement is alternate (whereas they’re opposite in hop). The fruit of white bryony is also very different, being red. Be careful since white bryony is poisonous.
Credit: Alex Hyde / naturepl.com
Value to wildlife
As a climbing plant, hop helps create dense habitat in hedgerows and bushes, providing a small microclimate in the hedge and a valuable refuge for insects and nesting or roosting birds. The plant’s flower also provides nectar for insects.
Credit: Maxal Tamor / Alamy Stock Photo
Uses of hop
The inflorescences (flowering stalks) from hops have been used in beer making since the Middle Ages, thanks to their bacteriostatic (stops bacteria from reproducing) properties. As well as its culinary use, hop has been used to treat anxiety and sleep problems. An extract of the plant was used as a sedative.
Did you know?
Hop not only flavours beer, it helps with foaming and makes it last longer too.