Dodonaea viscosa or Sticky hop bush

Care of the shrub Dodonaea viscosa or Sticky hop bush

The genus Dodonaea, family Sapindaceae, comprises 70 species of shrubs and trees native to Asia, America, Africa and Australia. Some species are: Dodonaea viscosa, Dodonaea procumbens, Dodonaea humilis, Dodonaea cuneata, Dodonaea spatulata.

Common names: Hopbush, Native Hops, Sand Olive, Switch sorrel, Sticky hop bush. This species has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.

They are aromatic evergreen shrubs with resinous branches that reach 5 meters (16.4 feet) in height. The leaves are elongated, leathery and sticky in texture and green in color; in the Atropurpurea variety they are purple. The flowers are small, green in color and are not decorative. They bloom in winter. The decorative reddish-purple samara-shaped fruits appear in spring.

Sticky hop bush is used for formal and informal hedges, for windbreaks, as isolated specimens and to fix sandy slopes; it's ideal for Mediterranean coastal gardens. Branches bearing fruit are used for floral decorations.

Dodonaea viscosa needs full sun exposure; it resists high temperatures well and also frost.

Native Hops can grow in well-drained soils: sandy, limestone or stony. It's useful as pioneer plant to restore impoverished soils. Planting is done in spring.

Water regularly and thoroughly; they can tolerate drought and flooding.

Prune in fall to maintain a compact appearance.

Sand Olive is a fast-growing plant that is resistant to pests and diseases and pollution in large cities.

Switch sorrel propagates by semi-woody cuttings or by seeds sown in spring previously submerged in very hot water; they germinate in 3-5 weeks.