Hops Growing On Arbour
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: S. Gallinger
Posted on: May 23, 1999

Please let me know if I should be pulling out the 4 humulus lupulus plants I have growing up an arbor. The concern is that the roots will be devasting to the foundation of the house which is about 3 feet away, and that there will be shoots coming off these plants reaching out into the rest of the garden. They are doing very well and this is their 3rd year, however I am not certain that this the right plant for this arbor.

Hops are known for putting a lot of growth out in a year, however I have not heard that they damage foundations. They are used fairly often instead of ivy to climb up a house.

The plants also make suckers, but these emerge not too far from the old plant and would not be a problem in any but a very tiny garden. I do think that 4 hop plants on one arbor seems a bit much, but it will just cover the arbor better and you will be able to make 4 different beers with the flowers rather than more beer, but of fewer varieties.

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