Hops by Wanderer MoonChild

Botanical Basics

1. Common Name(s): Hops
2. Folk Name(s): Hop Vine, Beer Flower, Lupulin
3. Scientific/Latin Name: Humulus lupulus
4. Family: Cannabaceae (same family as hemp and cannabis)
5. Plant Type: Hardy perennial, climbing bine (not a true vine)
6. Botanical Description: Fast-growing bine with rough, twining stems that climb by wrapping clockwise. Leaves are opposite, lobed, rough-textured. Flowers are dioecious (male and female separate); female flowers form cone-like catkins (strobiles) that contain lupulin glands, producing aromatic resins and essential oils.
7. Growing Zones/Climate: USDA Zones 3–8
8. Best Zones for Growth: Cool to temperate climates with long summer days (Pacific Northwest USA, parts of Europe)
9. Habitat & Range: Native to Europe, Western Asia, and North America; naturalized widely in riverbanks, hedgerows, and woodlands

Cultivation & Harvest

1. Soil & Sun Requirements: Deep, well-drained sandy loam; rich in organic matter; prefers full sun and consistent moisture
2. Propagation: By rhizome division, crown cuttings, or rootstock; rarely grown from seed for cultivation due to variability
3. Companion Planting: Benefits from tall supports; sometimes paired with grapes or sunflowers; attracts beneficial insects
4. Harvesting Guidelines: Female cones harvested in late summer to early fall when aromatic and papery; picked by hand or cut from bines
5. Drying/Preservation: Cones are quickly dried at low temperatures to preserve volatile oils, then stored airtight; can also be pelletized for brewing

Traditional & Historical Use

1. Cultural Significance: Best known for centuries as the bittering and flavoring agent in beer; associated with fertility and festivity in European folklore
2. Traditional Medicine: Used as a sedative, digestive bitter, and anti-inflammatory; often combined with valerian for sleep disorders
3. Symbolism: Represents relaxation, banishment of worry, fertility, and celebration

Medicinal & Practical Properties

1. Active Constituents: Bitter acids (humulone, lupulone), essential oils (myrcene, humulene), flavonoids (xanthohumol), phytoestrogens
2. Medicinal Uses:
   
3. Mild sedative for insomnia and restlessness
4. Bitter tonic for digestion and appetite stimulation
5. Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties
6. Relief of menopausal symptoms (phytoestrogenic action)
   
7. Preparation Methods: Teas, tinctures, hop pillows for sleep, extracts, bitters formulations, brewing in beer
8. Dosage & Guidelines:
   
9. Infusion: 1–2 tsp dried hops per cup boiling water, steeped 10–15 min, 2–3 times daily
10. Tincture: 1–2 mL up to 3 times daily
11. Hop pillow: stuffed dried hops for calming effect during sleep
    
12. Safety/Precautions: May cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Contraindicated in severe depression (may worsen). Avoid during pregnancy due to estrogenic effects.

Magical & Spiritual Properties

1. Elemental Association: Water
2. Planetary/Deity Correspondence: Venus (love, relaxation, fertility); linked to Bacchus/Dionysus (wine, revelry)
3. Magical Correspondences: Sleep, rest, banishing sorrow, healing, fertility, dream magic
4. Ritual Use: Added to sleep sachets, charm bags, and dream pillows; used in ritual beers or offerings for festivity and abundance
5. Symbolism in Divination/Dreams: Indicates a need for rest, balance, letting go of stress; may signal fertility or creative brewing of new ideas

Ecological & Culinary Uses

1. Pollinator Value: Male flowers attract bees and other insects
2. Wildlife Uses: Dense bines provide cover for birds and small mammals
3. Culinary Uses:
   
4. Primary use in brewing beer for bitterness, aroma, and preservation
5. Occasionally used in bitters, flavor extracts, or as a seasoning in small amounts
6. Young shoots are edible, cooked like asparagus in some traditions
   

Household/Practical Uses

1. Quick Uses: Hop pillow for sleep, bitter tea for digestion, brewing for beer
2. Notable Traits: One of the fastest-growing plants (up to a foot per day in peak season); long history as both medicine and brewing herb
3. Special Notes: Symbol of both festivity and rest—used for calming and for celebration

Supporting Notes

1. Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (2016)
2. Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal (1931)
3. Buhner, Stephen Harrod. Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers (1998)
4. Duke, James A. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs (2002)
5. EMA (European Medicines Agency). “Humulus lupulus L., flos (Hops)” Monograph (2014)