# common hops (*Humulus lupulus*) Common hops are climbing plants that grow tall and green. They are often used to make beer but are also fun to look at in gardens and fields! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Urban areas, Gardens ![common hops](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Hop_mannelijke_plant_Humulus_lupulus_male_plant.jpg&width=800) Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Rasbak assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hop_mannelijke_plant_Humulus_lupulus_male_plant.jpg) ## Appearance The common hops is a vigorous climbing vine with rough, bristly stems that twine clockwise. Its leaves are heart-shaped, deeply lobed, and have serrated edges. The female flowers form papery, cone-like structures, typically pale green to yellowish, which are its most distinctive feature. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Cannabaceae - **Genus:** Humulus ## Interesting facts - Believe it or not, hops are cousins to cannabis, but they won't make you giggle! - Hop plants are like speed racers, growing up to 30 cm (1 foot) in a single day! - Hops plants tuck themselves in at night, folding their leaves down as if to sleep! - The special 'cones' of hops give beer its bitter taste and keep it fresh! ## Special abilities - **Super-Fast Climber:** Common hops can grow several inches a day, allowing it to quickly reach sunlight high above. - **Twining Grip:** This plant climbs by twining its rough stems around supports, rather than using tendrils. - **Bitter Shield:** Hops produces bitter compounds in its cones that help deter pests from eating them. - **Flavor Chemist:** Its female cones contain glands that produce special oils and acids used to flavor and preserve drinks. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-600 cm - **Spread:** 150-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** hop aphid (*Phorodon humuli*) — Feeds on sap from leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** two-spotted spider mite (*Tetranychus urticae*) — Sucks plant juices, causing damage. - **Eaten by:** eastern tent caterpillar (*Malacosoma americanum*) — Larvae consume leaves. ## Traits - [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before touching or tasting plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common hops? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common hops? 300-600 cm ### How wide does common hops spread? 150-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on common hops? 0.2-0.5 cm ### When does common hops bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is common hops edible? Yes ### Is common hops toxic? Mild ### What is common hops's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Domgarten Naumburg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/domgarten-naumburg) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park - [Flora und Botanischer Garten (Köln)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/flora-botanical-garden-cologne) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park - [Île de Rhinau National Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ile-de-rhinau-national-nature-reserve) — Grand Est, FR · Park [View all places to see common hops](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-hops) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Hops: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-hops)