Accession Count: 81
Common Name:
purple-leafed hop bush, hop bush, Hopseed Bush
Family Name:
Sapindaceae
Botanical Name:
Dodonaea viscosa
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Dodonaea viscosa is an evergreen shrub or very small tree, growing up to 20 feet tall (1, 3, 4, 5). The bark is dark brown, and it has woody stems. The leaves of the purple-leafed hop bush are spoon-shaped and dark green, growing two to three inches long by a half inch wide (1, 2, 5). Leaves are simple, rather than compound, linear, and have alternate phyllotaxy. In the spring, inconspicuous, yellow-green, petalless flowers bloom, and the pollen is carried by the wind (3, 5). While the flowers of D. viscosa may not be showy, directly after pollination they form a tan or rose colored, three winged fruit which is attractive in appearance (1, 3, 4, 5). Flowers on this plant are dioecious, meaning that a given plant will only sprout male or female flowers, but not both (1, 3, 4, 5).
Compound:
Dod vis
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
D. viscosa is a native of the Tucson Basin.
Cultivation Notes:
Hopseed bush should be planted in full sunlight, and is shade intolerant (1, 2, 5). It is tolerant of a wide range of soils, as long as they are well-drained, and given time to dry out between waterings (1, 2, 3, 5). It will become chlorotic if overwatered. More frequent watering will result in fully grown tree specimen, while less watering will cause the plant to grow into a more shrub-like form (1). D. viscosa requires little maintenance of its shrub form, but if trained to tree form, it should be regularly. Hopseed bush is drought and wind tolerant, but not tolerant of frosts below freezing (2, 3), though it will often re-sprout from roots (3). However, the Arizona form is hardy to about 15°F. Propagation can be done with seeds or cuttings (1, 3).
Ethnobotany:
Hopseed bush has a wide variety of uses. The fruit can be used as a substitute for hops when brewing beer, hence the common name (3, 5). Some have used the wood as a construction material. The leaves are said to alleviate pain from tooth aches when chewed, and some indigenous cultures ingest the leaves to cure fever (3, 5). The leaves contain a resin material that can be heated to make a plaster for wounds (5), or used to make torches (3). However, the fruit is poisonous, since it contains saponin, a compound which is characteristic of the soapbush family.
In landscapes, D. Viscosa functions excellently as a hedge, a windbreak, or an espalier. The roots can be invasive in maintained landscapes, and grow quickly.
Height:
11 - 15 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Red
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Invasive
Toxicity:
Toxic
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
