Latin: Humulus lupulus
Also Known As: Beer Flower
Family: Cannabinaceae
Habitat and Description: The hop plant is a straggling, rambling, climbing perennial with lobed leaves that grow off a central, slightly rough surfaced stem. The plant requires support and can often be found growing up trees or, if cultivated, on trellises. As most people know, hops are a primary ingredient in beer and are widely cultivated in various parts of the world – over here, Kent is a particular area for this. The leaves are quite large and a rich green in colour, though it is possible to get a gold version of the plant as a garden variety. The stem of the plant is very sturdy and wiry, with a faceted, slightly prickly surface. The leaves themselves are three or five lobed. The plants are either male or female – male hop plants have small, rather insignificant flowers, while the female plants have small cone shaped flowers that ripen into the well known, papery fruits from September onwards. I've recently found one of these plants growing down by the river, rather a lovely sight as it has clambered up a nearby alder and twined through the plentiful brambles that also grow there.
Parts Used: The shoots, leaves and flowers – predominantly the dried female flowers though.
Constituents: volatile oils, flavonoids including chalcones such as xanthohumol, oleo-resin consisting of alpha-bitter acids including humulone and cohumulone, and beta-bitter acids including lupulene. The plant also contains tannins, phenolic acids and lipids. It contains a bitter-resin complex known as lupulin, and phyto oestrogens, asparagin which is responsible for the diuretic effect, choline, rutin and pectin. When the plant is dried, valeric acid is produced, which is possibly responsible for its uses in treating insomnia. Interestingly, both Hops and Valerian have a sedative fragrance when dried, possibly due to the presence of valeric acid.
Planetary Influence: Mars
Associated Deities and Heroes: Inanna, Hel, Cerridwen, Hecate – assorted other crone and underworld deities.
Festival: Samhain and Imbolc
Constitution: Temperate
Actions and Indications: For anyone considering using hops, please bear in mind that if you already have trouble dealing with depression, this is not the herb for you, as it can worsen depression.
One of the predominant uses for hops in modern herbal medicine is as a sedative, for those who have trouble sleeping for a variety of reasons. It can also be used for restless legs, a problem that can be the bane of anyone trying to sleep. Use the plant to treat nervous anxiety, stress, hysteria and insomnia.
The plant is also used for digestive complaints, as it stimulates the production of bile, and can therefore be used for a sluggish digestion and poor fat metabolism. They can be used for digestive illnesses with a strong stress related component, such as stomach ulceration and IBS, as well as ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and nervous indigestion. They can be useful when a herb to cool excessive digestive heat is necessary. As hops are bitter, they can be used to stimulate the appetite (possibly why men drinking beer always seem to feel the need to snack on something!) Its antispasmodic properties make it useful in the treatment of spasmodic conditions of the digestive system in general.
Due to the presence of tannins, the plant can be used to stem mild diarrhoea.
Hops contain some phyto oestrogens, and can be used to ease painful periods, to increase breast milk production in nursing mothers, and by extension, to calm fussy babies fed by breast milk produced by women who take hops medicinally. Hops can also be used to ease the transition through menopause, although again, best avoided if you are prone to depression.
Interestingly enough, the plant depresses the libido in men but has the opposite effect in women.
As a diuretic, the plant can reduce water retention – another positive action for women who struggle with water retention associated with menstruation. It can be used to ease and relieve kidney gravel and stones, and as a soothing diuretic can remove toxins from the system. It can be used in medicines aimed at relieving skin problems such as acne and eczema – possibly particularly where the skin complaint has a strong stress related element.
A drawing ointment can be made from hops, which can be applied to boils, abscesses and bites in order to bring them to a head and promote healing. A cream of hops can be used to ward off wrinkles and keep the skin soft and supple, as well as to treat cuts and wounds, as the plant is antiseptic.
Spiritual and Energetic Uses: Hops have a strong link between creativity and sexuality, and can be used to resolve emotional issues surrounding either of these issues, as well as for those women who have trouble differentiating between sexual activity and love that requires comfort in the form of an embrace.
Matthew Wood also recommends the plant as great for driven personalities, too much intensity and strong emotions that run riot – in particular hatred or anger. Well suited for those Mars and over expansive Jupiter personalities who erupt very quickly and easily into anger which ruins everyone's day, but seemingly simmer right down again afterwards. These emotions result in exhaustion, insomnia and worry. Interestingly, anger that has not been expressed often manifests as depression, so I have to wonder here whether the tendency of hops to exacerbate depression is simply highlighting a problem that a more penetrating root bitter such as Dandelion might be more appropriate for.
Magical Uses: Used in sleep magic and divination related to dreaming. The flowers are also used to make a ritual beer or ale cup, used for animal related magic, to connect to totems and guiding spirits.
Folklore: The common name 'hop' may derive from the Anglo Saxon 'hoppon', meaning to climb, referring to the climbing habit this plant has.
Hops are associated with wolves, and by extension the winter months. As a result, the plant has some connections with Brighid and the early spring festival of Imbolc. Because the plant is associated with the wolf, it also has some ties with underworld deities.
The plant can be used to create a brown dye. According to Pliny, the Romans grew hops in their gardens and ate the young shoots as a vegetable, though given how bitter the plant is, I'm not sure how pleasant this would have tasted!
Dose: Smaller doses are used for anxiety and to treat digestive complaints, and larger doses for insomnia. General dosage is up to 4mls three times a day.
Contraindications: Not recommended for those who struggle with depression. If you start feeling depressed while taking hops, stop at once and see your local herbal practitioner.