If you miss seeing true green in the desert landscape, consider planting a hop bush (or two). This fast-growing, versatile shrub stays vibrant emerald green all year long, Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this hardy desert native.
Hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa) is a fast-growing evergreen shrub with slender, shiny leaves that look similar to willow leaves.
It’s grown in the garden mainly for its dense, attractive foliage, rather than for its flowers, which are charming but not showy. The flowers resemble small Chinese lanterns and are followed by winged seed pods.
While the individual flowers aren’t showy, en masse they can be. There are a few mature specimens at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum that are so loaded with flowers in the spring, they could be mistaken for rose bushes!
Hop bush is an unusually adaptable plant that is native and/or naturalized on every continent.
In its natural environments, it grows in full sun and can survive on as little as 12” of rainfall per year. Surprisingly, for a plant that grows in the desert, it also grows in parts of the world that receive nearly 100” of rain per year!
Fun Fact!
Hop bush seeds are so small it takes
over 84,000 to make a pound of seed.
Why I Like This Plant
- Vibrant green evergreen
- Delicately beautiful flowers bloom much of the year
- Low maintenance, tolerant of desert conditions
- Can be pruned into a more formal hedge
- No thorns, relatively low litter
Things to Watch Out For
- Mildly toxic to humans and pets
- Flammable, so don’t plant in wildfire-prone areas or near outdoor cookers 🔥
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a hop bush to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Hop bush should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 – 11. It is heat tolerant up to around 118℉ and is cold-hardy down to 15℉.
Sun Exposure
Hop bush can thrive in either full sun or part shade but does not do well in full shade or against a hot, west-facing wall.
Size and Growth Rate
It grows moderately fast and can grow to be a large shrub, 12’ high by 10’ wide, so give it room to grow. While it can be kept small, this will require regular pruning.
Soil
It’s not particular about soil and grows well in any native desert soil, provided it’s well-draining. Overwatering can cause iron deficiency (foliar chlorosis) or root rot.
Other Location Considerations
This dense shrub makes an excellent hedge or wind block. A row of hop bushes is a great way to hide an unattractive view or soften the look of a cement block wall.
Since it is considered a flammable shrub, it’s best not to plant near a BBQ or fire pit. If you live in a fire-prone area, don’t plant this near your house.
Hop Bush:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Hopbush, hop bush, hopseed bush |
| Scientific Name | Dodonaea viscosa |
| Origin | World-wide |
| Plant Type | Evergreen shrub |
| USDA Zones | Zones 8 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 15℉ |
| Flower Color | Yellow-green to pink |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 12’ high x 10’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot |
| Garden Friendly | No spikes or thorns |
| Toxicity | Mildly poisonous |
| Wildlife | Attracts birds, larval host to moths |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any shrub or tree in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant hop bush is in the fall. This gives your shrub three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
Hop bushes make an excellent alternative to oleander,
a non-native shrub with many drawbacks.
How to Care for Hop Bush
Whether you’ve recently planted a hop bush or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your hop bush in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern. Here is the recommended watering schedule for new shrubs planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 6 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually extend the time between waterings.
How to Water Established Plants
As your shrub gets established, there are two watering factors to consider.
- First is how often to water. This will vary with the seasons.
- Second is how much water to give your shrub with each watering. This depends on the current size of your plant.
To determine the ideal watering schedule for hop bush or any desert shrub you’ll find everything you need to know, including easy-to-use charts, at How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much?
Should You Fertilize?
While you can fertilize hop bushes, it’s not necessary. They get all the nutrients they need from native soil.
How to Prune
Hop bush has an attractive natural shape and no routine pruning is needed, but you may want to prune it to maintain a desired size and shape.
You can selectively prune old woody branches at the base every 2 to 3 years.
It’s one of the few desert shrubs that is not ruined by shearing as a hedge, provided you don’t do it more than twice a year. The best time of year to prune is in the spring after the last frost or in the fall.
Plants can be severely pruned every 5 years or so to rejuvenate.
Hop Bush Cultivars
Dodonaea viscosa ‘Emerald Ice’ is an exclusive cultivar from Tucson’s Civano Growers that is somewhat hardier than the parent plant. As the name suggests, its leaves are a brilliant emerald green, a color that is not always easy to find in the desert palette.
Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’ is a cultivar called purple hop bush. It has attractive bronze-green leaves in the summer that turn purple-red in fall. It is a little less cold-hardy than the parent plant.
Plant Lover Facts
Hop bush naturally occurs throughout much of the world. It can be found growing in warmer regions on six continents. In the southwest, it’s native to Arizona and Mexico, and has naturalized in California.
Hop bush has historically had a wide range of medicinal uses. Scientific research confirms that it has antimalarial, antidiabetic and antibacterial properties due to its many naturally occurring phytochemicals.
But since the dose makes the poison, it’s considered mildly toxic to humans and pets due to the saponins, bitter-tasting compounds that mainly cause digestive upset.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credits
“Hopbush Flowers” by desertdutchman is licensed under CC BY 2.0