Hop
(Humulus lupulus L., Moraceae)
Also Called: Common Hop
These rapidly growing, coarse-textured vines provide dense cover for a trellis or for any unsightly feature in the garden in summer. Hop is a good selection for gardens that experience drought, hot temperatures and wind.
Associated with traditional English beer, the plant is a comparative newcomer, introduced from Germany in the 16th century. Enthusing about the hop's many virtues, John Gerard, writing in 1597, urges that "beer' be considered a "phisicall drink to keep the body in health [rather] than an ordinary drinke for the quenching of our thirst", while a few years earlier (1562) William Turner in his New Herbal) was amazed that, given the herb's numerous properties, physicians did not "use it more in medicine".
Description: A twining plant, up to 6m (11
Sift) high, dioecious.
The slender stems bear dark green, rough,
tri-lobed leaves.
The female flowers are indistinct, greenish, covered with
yellowish-green bracts bearing brownish glandular hairs.
The bracts and flowers
form a leafy conical intlorescence (strohilus), 1-2 cm (0.4-08in) in diameter.
The vines climb to 20 feet, and the plant is hardy in Zones 3-10.
The cultivar 'Aurea', with golden foliage, is especially popular.
Habitat and Cultivation: Wild hops are found
in hedges and woods throughout Europe and are common in England.
English hops
are of high quality and are cultivated mainly in Kent.
Hops grow well in full sun or partial shade, and though it tolerates a wide
range of soil conditions, it prefers a moist, humus-rich, light loam that
is well drained.
Keep the plants well-watered during hot weather.
Propagate common hop by root division or from cuttings of new growth taken
in the spring, preferably from female rootstock.
Plants die down in winter,
but fast-growing shoots appear again in spring.
Protect the roots with a mulch
over the winter months.
Collection is in late summer or autumn, when flowers are tinged with yellow,
(may at times cause breathlessness, cardiac disturbance, fever or sweating
in the collectors - see below).
Only the female plants are used medicinally, being those cultivated for use in brewing.
Parts Used: 1. The inflorescence (strobilus) collected before fully mature. 2. The brown glandular hairs separated from the bracts (more active).
Constituents: Not well established. Volatile oil, resin,
bitter acids.
Actions: anaphrodisiac. bitter digestive stimulant, diuretic,
sedative, restoring tonic for nervous system
Medicinal Uses: The female flowers or strobiles are used
medicinally.
They are strongly sedating, so should be avoided by those liable to depression.
An anaphrodisiac, excessive consumption
can lead to loss of libido, due to oestrogen-like compounds
in the plant. Containing as much as 300,000 i.u. of oestrogen
in 100 g, so it is hardly surprising that the hops in beer has such a dramatic
effect on the male libido.
Women hop pickers often experienced menstrual irregularities
and early periods while working in the hop fields and breathing in the herb's
potent aromatic oils.
The bitter principles and volatile oil stimulate the appetite and are feebly
antibiotic; they regularise the menstrual cycle and they are often used for
stress, irritability and anxiety as well as, of course, insomnia.
As a mild sporific it is used in nervous conditions.
A pillow stuffed
with freshly dried flowers is believed to induce restful sleep, the hops
need to be changed every few months to ensure continuing activity
Activity of the drug decreases rapidly with age as Hhop strobiles oxidise
rapidly so properties can vary markedly on drying and after storing
for any time.
Usage:A tincture or infusion prepared from the flowers
of common hop is used to treat insomnia and headaches, and may also improve
digestion.
The powdered strobiles (a knifepointful 1-3 times
daily, especially at bedtime) for nerves and mild insomnia; more rarely
as a tisane (10g (0.4oz) in 0.5 litre (1 pt) of water).
Caution: Avoid the use of hop if depression or impotence is a problem.
Other Uses:
Use the flowers in a bath for a calming effect. Dried flowers are used in decorative arrangements. Common hop is used in beermaking.
Japanese hop (H. japonicus)
This annual hop is a vigorous climber, growing 20 to 35 feet in a single
season. The 6 to 8 inch wide leaves are rough-textured and bright green. Female
plants produce papery, conelike flowers. This is the variety most often used
as an ornamental. Once established, the plant reseeds itself.
Start Japanese hop from seed sown directly outdoors. Space the seed about
18 inches apart at the base of a support. Once established, the plants will
reseed themselves.
