Golden Hop Vines

Humulus lupulus Aureus

It's likely you'll be growing golden hops for their big, beautiful, lobed leaves rather than for home brew. Although this is a cultivar of the plant that gives beer its characteristic bitterness. Give it a good sunny spot in humus-rich, fertile soil, with support, and it will romp away to cover a large fence, arbour or rose arch in just one season. You'll need to cut it back down to the ground in winter, then it'll start all over again in spring, its soft young shoots a real joy in the new season. The flowers are the hops, little sweetly scented cones (on female plants only) – pretty enough, but you'll need a fair few plants if you're considering joining the craft ale brigade… Take a look at some of the other climbers in our range.

Chasers and cocktails

The zingy spring foliage colour of golden hops looks stunning against a dark backdrop – a black painted fence for example, or combined with common ivy or an evergreen climber such as Lonicera halliana for a plant mixologist's dream. Do give it space, however, as it's a real grower, spreading up to 6m in a just season of growth.

Features

• Size/Spread: 6m x 6m
• Foliage: lime green to bright yellow
• Flowering: September
• Scent: light and sweet
• Position: full sun
• RHS Award of Garden Merit

'Ale & hearty

This tough, rough-stemmed climber may look like a vine, but technically it's not, as it twines clockwise around its support, rather than sending out tendrils or suckers. It's not the best variety for brewing, but its hops can be used in dried flower arrangements.

Every climber needs some form of support. This can be straining wires, an arch or pergola, trellis, a tree or even another climbing plant. The requirements are that the support allows your climber to grow in a favourable position and aspect and that it is strong enough to carry its weight. Please remember that weight can be considerable and that it may need to be borne for many years. By the same token, as climbers are not usually the sort of plant you transplant, they will generally be in the same place for the rest of their lives, so soil preparation should be as good as you can make it. Dig a good sized planting hole: at least twice the diameter of the pot in which your plant arrived. If the soil is poor, dig a bit deeper than the pot is tall so you can get some planting mix under the rootball to encourage roots downward. If there is any risk of poor drainage, really break up the bottom of the hole with a garden fork. If you can, do the same to the sides without them collapsing that helps drainage and establishment as well. Mix the soil from the hole with about 25% by volume of well-rotted garden compost. Return the mix under and around the rootball keeping the top of the rootball level with the surrounding soil and adding Rootgrow as you go trying to ensure it sticks to the rootball. Firm the planting mix around the rootball and water in well. Continue watering in dry spells until the plant begins to grow away.