The bunnies hop right on past the desert hopbush, also called desert hops, and occasionally called sand cherry. Other common names include arilla (Spanish); and in Seri, casol caacol. I would love to know the O’odham name if someone reading this knows it. The botanical name is Dodonaea viscosa and it is a member of the Sapindaceae or Soapberry Family.

Not Always A Desert Plant

This plant that I knew since childhood, and always thought of as a desert plant, is much more than that. Hopbush is interesting that it has a “cosmopolitan” distribution. It is found around the globe – in Africa, Australia, North, Central and South America, in southern Asia, and is even considered native to the Hawaiian Islands. It grows in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the globe, in other words – don’t let it freeze much.

I called it desert hopbush, but in the wetter areas it grows much taller than a bush. In Hawai’i, New Zealand, and the coastal Americas, it can grow into a thirty foot tree. Nothing wrong with that, but if you want to it grow well in the Southwest, you need to get a hopbush with desert adapted parents.

This cosmopolitan habit means that the parents of any hopbush you buy had better be desert adapted parents, and not from a cooler coastal area.  How can you know? Well, the name of one major wholesaler of plants in the Southwest is named for a town in a moist coastal area of California. A different major wholesaler is based in Phoenix. Others are based in southern Arizona.   

Hopbush is a Kino Herb

Father Kino was introduced to the desert hopbush in the Pimería Alta. He and the European padres working with him learned of the native tribes many uses of hopbush.   It is one of the 25 native herbs I discussed in my book about Father Kino’s Herbs. There are also 25 non-native herbs. More about native versus non-native plants.

Uses of Hopbush

The wood is extremely tough and durable.     When plants with stems of sufficient girth were found, the strong yellow wood could be used for digging sticks.    Small children practised spear throwing with the straight branches.  Hoops for the hoop game could be made from the flexible young branches.

Leaves of hopbush were used for medical purposes.    Either on or off the branches, leaves dipped in warm water are placed on aching extremities, or used in poultices.    A bitter tea made from leaves or flowers was used as a tonic.

Hopbush  in the Landscape

Desert hops makes an attractive, dense, evergreen screen.    Plants quickly grow into a much-branched shrub, or occasionally a small tree, with glossy green leaves. Here in the Southwest, the plants generally grow to 6 to 8 feet high; 6 to 8 feet wide. The flowers are tiny and not very showy, but are followed by a dry papery capsule with three or four papery wings.

These capsules (botanically they are fruits) are often called “flowers” by people who haven’t looked very closely.    And you have to look closely indeed to find the flowers, which are small and not very colorful, but the showy fruits make up for the unremarkable flowers.

Occasionally someone will complain that they never get “flowers” on their plant, or only got a few.    This is because desert hopbush is one of those unique plants where individual plants can be male, or female, or both.    If you have a male plant, fruits will never develop. If you have a plant that produces both male and female flowers, few capsules will develop. Female plants though – well it’s their job to spread the seeds.

As mentioned at the start, hopbushes are not bothered by wildlife and are thus being added to my wildlife resistant plant guide.  There are two hints as to why they are not bothered in the names of the plant!  Dodonea viscosa.  The name viscosa tells you that the leaves have a viscous coating on them. A shiny, sticky coating. What does it taste like?  I did tell you that it is in the Sapindaceae or soapberry family.  So yep, not tasty at all.

Which Species?

There is a wide variety of genetic diversity in hopbushes as discussed above. The standard Dodonea viscosa with wide leaves is from the moister and more tropical regions of the world.   Narrow leaf hopbush, Dodonea viscosa variety angustifolia, indeed has narrow leaves. Less surface area on the leaves means it is the variety that does best in the low humidity of the Southwest. You can also select the cultivar Dodonea viscosa cv. ‘Purpurea.’ with bronze-purple foliage. This is a popular landscape shrub.

Both the narrow-leaf form and the purple desert hops can be sheared into a hedge for those that like the style, although it will need additional water to recover from such shearing.    The broad-leaf form is best to train into a small patio tree.

I have a video about hopbush that I thought was on my YouTube channel.  I shall have to dig it out and get it up there.  Sign up for my free Substack newsletter (link somewhere on this page – depending on how you view this.)  and I’ll let you know when I post it.  Paid members of my Substack will be getting the complete hopbush care sheet.

Planting Hopbush

Plant care can be simplified into the same four basic elements that the ancient Greek philosophers used: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Earth

They need a well-drained soil.  They do even better if the soil is amended with organic material prior to planting.

Air

Most unstressed hopbushes can take cold down to 26 F without fussing. Stressed plants are more likely to be frost damaged. If they get afternoon shade, a Phoenix summer is no worries for these tough plants.

Fire

These drought tolerant shrubs do best in full sun to afternoon shade. Avoid reflected light, so not for poolscaping. Not great around pools anyway because of the seed pod litter.

Water

Generally a low water plant. Indeed, if overwatered, the foliage may turn chlorotic, but rapidly re-greens with the application of acidifying agents such as organic mulch or coffee grounds.

Harvesting and Use

Medicinal. Historically, the fresh foliage of desert hops was used medicinally.

Flowers. Cut branches last 7 to 10 days in cut flower arrangements.  I use them to fill out an inexpensive supermarket bouquet.

Crafts. I like the winged seed pods, and even the bright black seeds for crafts. A branch of the papery capsules can also be quite attractive in dried arrangements.

Hopbush is one of the “Father Kino’s Herbs”

The last few copies of this out-of-print award winning Southwestern book are now for sale. Father Kino’s Herbs: Growing and Using Them Today   The review says:

“Award-winning garden writer Dr. Jacqueline A. Soule has pulled together a fascinating book on the life of Father Eusebio Francisco Kino and some of the plants that he brought to Southern Arizona and northwestern Sonora, and area called the Pimeria Alta.”

This link is to our book sales site. The profits from the sale go to the local Horticulture Therapy non-profit Tierra del Sol Institute.  We hope you will help support this great Southwest non-profit!

You can learn more about Padre Kino at the Kino Heritage Society. (.org)

Cover image of hopbush courtesy W. Anderson.

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Disclaimer

The authors of this website have researched the edibility of the materials we discuss, however, humans vary in their ability to tolerate different foods, drinks, and herbs. Individuals consuming flowers, plants, animals or derivatives mentioned in this blog do so entirely at their own risk. The authors on this site cannot be held responsible for any adverse reaction. In case of doubt please consult your medical practitioner.