Hop

Humulus lupulus

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Polygonia interrogationis (Question Mark), Polygonia comma (Eastern Comma), Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral), Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning Cloak), Nymphalis vau-album (Compton Tortoiseshell), Polygonia gracilis (Hoary Comma)
S14 filtered for ON/QC ranges; S10 confirms Question Mark, Comma, Red Admiral

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ❌ ON
Closest Direction: NW
CEC Eco-Regions: 9 – Great Plains, 9.2 – Temperate Prairies, 9.2.2 – Lake Manitoba and Lake Agassiz Plain
Rarity Notes: Ranked SU (Unrankable) in Ontario and SNR (Not Ranked) in Quebec, reflecting taxonomic complexity between native and introduced varieties. Not listed under SARA. Global rank G5 (Secure). The species complex includes both native North American varieties and introduced Eurasian stock; VASCAN treats all Canadian occurrences as introduced.
S22 S26 S1
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON SU – Unrankable
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Common hop is a vigorous twining vine of floodplain forests, woodland borders, thickets, hedgerows, and disturbed ground. In the Ottawa-Gatineau region it persists as an introduction, often found along roadsides, fence rows, and waste areas where it clambers over shrubs and small trees. It favours fertile, mesic to slightly dry soils and tolerates partial shade to full sun. VASCAN lists it as introduced in all Canadian provinces where it occurs.
S10 S29 S62 S1

Roles: Fortress/Barrier
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)]
Notes: A vigorous perennial vine useful for living screens and barrier plantings. Its prickly-bristly stems and dense growth make it effective in deer fence guilds. Grows in sun to semi-shade, tolerating a wide range of soils. Dies back to rhizomes each winter, re-emerging vigorously in spring. Can be aggressive and should be sited with care in mixed plantings.
S72 S29 S10

Category: Analgesic, Antibacterial, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Hypnotic, Nervine, Sedative, Stomachic, Tonic
S29 S28
Notes: Hops have a long history of use as a sedative and nervine, primarily employing the female fruiting cones which contain lupulin. Cherokee used the plant for pain relief, rheumatism, and kidney complaints; Dakota took fruit decoctions for fevers and intestinal pain; Delaware and Mohegan used blossoms for nervousness, earache, and toothache; Meskwaki used the root for insomnia; Ojibwa used infusions as a diuretic. The German Commission E approves Humulus lupulus for nervousness and insomnia. Humulone and lupulone in the fruiting body are highly bacteriostatic against gram-positive bacteria.
S29 S28

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: Young shoots and leaves are cooked as a vegetable and considered delicious by many. Young leaves may be eaten raw in salads before end of May. Female cone-like fruit clusters (strobiles) are the primary flavouring and preservative in beer, valued for their bitter lupulin glands. The fleshy rhizomes are sometimes eaten. A calming tea is made from the leaves and cones. Seeds contain gamma-linolenic acid. Algonquin peoples used hops to make bread; Ojibwa used hop fruit as a substitute for baking soda.
S29 S10 S28