Hops, Humulus Lupulus, Perennial Vine 20 Seeds (Fast, Hardy) Humulus lupulus is a dioecious, rhizomatous, twining, perennial vine which grows rapidly and vigorously to 15 to 25 feet long each year by mid-summer. Humulus lupulus is most commonly referred to as Hops. It can be pruned as a shrub but usually grown on a trellis. Hops (the dried ripe cones of the female flowers) of Humulus lupulus are commonly used by breweries as an ingredient to preserve and flavor beer. It can also be made into a soothing, relaxing tea or grown and enjoyed for its luxurious, abundant foliage. QTY: 20 SEEDS Although frequently referred to as the hop "vine", it is technically a bine; unlike vines, which use tendrils, suckers, and other appendages for attaching themselves, bines have stout stems with stiff hairs to aid in climbing. It is a perennial herbaceous plant which sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to the cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. Hop shoots grow very rapidly and at the peak of growth can grow 8 to 20 inches per week. Hop bines climb by wrapping clockwise around anything within reach, and individual bines typically grow between 7 to 50 feet depending on what is available to grow on. The coarsely serrated leaves are opposite, with a 3 to 5 inch Petiole and a cordate-based, palmately lobed blade 5 to 10 inches. When the hop bines run out of material to climb, horizontal shoots sprout between the leaves of the main stem to form a network of stems wound round each other. Male and female flowers of the hops plant develop on separate plants (dioecious). Greenish female flowers are borne in small, bracted spikes resembling cones which mature in late summer. Flowers emit a pine-like fragrance and are attractive to butterflies. Female plants, which produce the hops flowers used in brewing beer, often are grown in the absence of male plants. This prevents pollination and the development of viable seeds which are considered undesirable for brewing beer. Other Names: Common Hops Zone: 3 to 8