Hoptree

Hoptree: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Broad, upright shrub or small tree about 5 m tall and 4 m wide, often multi-stemmed.

Foliage

Made up of three oval leaflets about 5–10 cm long; aromatic when crushed; yellow in autumn.

Flowers

Small, greenish-white, sweetly scented flowers in heads, in June.

Fruit

Flat, round, winged fruits about 2.5 cm across in clusters, hanging on into winter.

Roots

Deep and strong, which helps it survive drought.

Flowering: June · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: February–March

Why grow it?

• Scented, nectar-rich flowers in June: a magnet for bees in summer.
• Aromatic, attractive foliage in three leaflets that turns yellow in autumn.
• Attractive clusters of winged fruits that hang on into winter.
• Very hardy and content with dry, poor soil.
• Grows in sun and part shade; suits wild gardens and informal hedges.
• Low maintenance: it needs hardly any pruning or care.

Hoptree: where does it grow best?

• Sun or part shade; in the sun it flowers and fruits best.
• Well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky; poor soil is no problem.
• Dry to normally moist; it tolerates wet feet badly.
• Tolerates wind and is very hardy.
• Allow 3–4 m per tree; as an informal hedge, plant at 1–1.5 m.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

5 m tall, 4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Lilac: Likes sun and dry soil, and flowers just before it.
• Common dogwood: Tough in the same dry soil and lovely with its red stems in winter.
• Butterfly bush: Flowers later in summer in the same sunny spot and attracts butterflies.
• Ornamental grasses: Soft stems that stand out well against the aromatic foliage.

Hoptree: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or in October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in a few spadefuls of compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil well.
4. Leave 3–4 m between plants; in an informal hedge, 1–1.5 m.
5. Water thoroughly straight away, even if it is raining.
6. Spread a layer of bark or leaf mould around the base, without covering the stem.

Care

Water

In the first two summers, water generously every week in dry weather. After that it is rarely needed.

Feeding

Hardly needed. If you like, a little compost around the base in spring.

Mulching

A layer of bark or leaf mould keeps the soil moist and suppresses weeds.

Fruit

Leave the fruit clusters on: they are attractive and give the garden structure in winter.

Tip: Plant it in a sunny or part-shaded spot with dry soil and let it grow freely. Put it near a terrace, so you can enjoy the scent of the flowers in June.

Hoptree: when to prune it?

Pruning months: February–March.

When: In February–March, before the buds break. It needs little pruning.

How:

• Cut dead, weak and crossing branches back to a healthy side shoot or to the base.
• Shorten branches that are too long back to a side shoot for a balanced shape.
• If you want it as a tree, remove the lower branches and build up a crown.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn in a pot outdoors, or keep it cold for 2–3 months and sow in spring. It germinates slowly.

Vegetative

Selections such as the golden form are propagated vegetatively by nurseries (grafting or cuttings); it is better to buy a plant.

Hoptree: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Very hardy, down to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Flanders.
• The fruit clusters often hang on into winter and give the garden structure.
• Young plants get a layer of mulch around the base; a pot is not suitable in the long term for a large tree.

Diseases and pests

• Late leafing: It comes into leaf late in spring, often only in May. That is normal: give it time and do not cut out apparently dead wood too early.
• Aphids: Small aphids on young shoots in spring. A jet of water is usually enough; ladybirds help too.
• Root rot: Wilting, yellow leaves caused by soil that is too wet. Improve drainage or move it to a drier spot.
• Self-sown seedlings: The winged fruits sometimes spread. Pull out unwanted young plants while they are small.

Through the year

• February: Prune before the buds break.
• March: Plant. Prune. Apply compost.
• April: Plant. Leaves appear late.
• May: Water in dry weather, especially young plants.
• June: Flowering: scented flowers with bees.
• August: Fruits ripen on the branches.
• September: Collect seed.
• October: Plant. Yellow autumn colour.
• November: Plant. Mulch.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name hoptree comes from the fruits, which were once used as a substitute for hops in beer.
• It belongs to the rue family (Rutaceae), like citrus fruits: hence the aromatic foliage.
• There is a golden-yellow form, ‘Aurea’, with yellow-green leaves.