They have grown through the shrubs next to them and I like the wild effect of having bright green sprigs waving in the breeze. It would be a great effect if you want to create some mystery in your garden: what’s back there? is a secret chamber hidden behind those leaves? The green Hop Shrubs in contrast, are very lacy, willowy and stand out. The purple Hopseed sort of recedes into the back of the bed, creating a dark shadowy shape. My Sunset Western Garden Book tells me that the purple and bronze cultivars also need more sun to keep their color. Perhaps that is why the purple Dodonaea is lagging in the growth department. The plants are growing near each other, get the same amount of water (not much) but a bit less sunlight. My purple Hopseed is still thin only about six feet tall and has only spread to about four feet.
They can get up to 15 feet high and as wide. The green Dodonaeas were a little rootbound, but off to a good start.Īfter four years the green hopseeds have grown to over eight feet tall and about six feet wide. I wanted to screen off a big chunk of the chain link fence out back and fast. I was happy to get the less popular green ones because they were already big. I wound up with a small purple and three large green plants which probably weren’t selling so fast. I asked my nursery guy for the biggest one gallons he had but one of them had to be purple (I had to see what the fuss was all about). Drought-tolerant screen plant hopseed or dodonaeaĪlthough the seed pods break down quickly in the soil, I do not recommend planting these bushes near pools or any other place where neatness counts.Ībout four years ago I planted three large green Hopseeds and a smaller purple shrub. Create a little resting spot near them so you can listen to their rushing whisper and calm down after a long day. In late spring they develop large, papery seed pods, usually light brown, which hang on for weeks and rustle in the breeze. You might try planting a few of these to wall off a secluded garden room in the back yard. Hopseeds are perfect for the back of the bed (where the sprinkler won’t reach), along fences or as border screens. Dodonaea are good for layering in the landscape, to create a full, lush feel in the border. They can be trimmed as hedges or espaliers for a slightly denser effect or pick one strong branch to train them as a tree. Hopseed bushes have a growth habit that is a bit airy, with lots of small branches and the long leaves adding to the lacy feel.
Once established in the garden (1-2 years) they can survive on rainfall alone. These drought tolerant shrubs are fast growers to about 10 feet tall and almost as wide. The Zone breakdown for Dodonaea viscosa is: USDA Zone: 9-11, and Sunset Zone: 7-24. Some Dodonaea are native to Australia, but Dodonaea viscosa is native to the Western US and Hawaii. I of course, am partial to the green ones. In Los Angeles the hot sellers are purple. Both versions have leaves about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and are very shiny on multiple shrubby branches. Hop Seed bushes come with leaves in either bright, lime green or dark purple. These lacy shrubs are also called Hop Bush or Hopseed Bush after their seed pods that resemble hops. I have been profiling a number of drought tolerant, fast growing screen plants lately and Dodonaea belongs on the list too.