Shrub · Sonoran native
Hopbush
Dodonaea viscosa · Sapindaceae
Also called: Hopseed bush, Hop bush, Florida hopbush, Switch sorrel
Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa) is a low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 10-15 ft H x 10-12 ft W in full sun to part shade, with a fast growth rate.
Hopbush at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade; tolerates reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 10-15 ft H x 10-12 ft W
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers; ornamental value is in showy papery seed capsules, pink to rosy-red (tan on green forms)., Spring (flowers); decorative winged seed capsules follow in late spring through summer.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 15-20 F (USDA zones 9-11); may show leaf burn in hard freezes but recovers.
- Soil
- Very adaptable; tolerates poor, rocky, sandy, and alkaline soils with good drainage.
- Native range
- Pantropical/cosmopolitan; native to Arizona and the Sonoran Desert as well as many warm regions worldwide.
- Best used as
- Screen or hedge (formal or informal), Windbreak, Background shrub, Erosion control on slopes, Xeriscape mass plantings
- Wildlife
- Provides cover and nesting habitat for birds; flowers offer minor pollinator value.
- Toxicity
- Generally low toxicity; not for consumption. Historically used as a hops substitute for brewing.
How to grow Hopbush in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Water established plants deeply every 2-4 weeks in summer; can survive on rainfall once established but stays fuller and greener with periodic deep irrigation. Avoid overwatering.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Low fertilizer needs; an optional light nitrogen application in spring encourages denser growth for hedging, otherwise none required.
Pruning & care
Responds well to pruning and shearing for informal or formal screens/hedges; prune in spring after frost danger. Avoid heavy summer shearing that exposes interior wood to sunburn.
Notes
The native Arizona form has bright green leaves; the cultivar 'Purpurea' (purple hopbush) has bronze-purple foliage that intensifies in cold and is widely sold in Tucson. Fast-growing and one of the most reliable evergreen screening shrubs for the low desert; tolerates heat, wind, and drought.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension