Don't Chop Down That Weed!

I know this looks a lot like an unwanted climbing plant pest that should be torn from the earth, but in fact, it's a beautiful, wonderful spice plant known as a hop. Hops provide aroma and bittering to beer and are one of the primary ingredients.

In particular, this is a Cascade variety hop that was cultivated originally in the Northwest and is something of the quintessential American hop, used in microbrews everywhere.

Hops grow very well in Michigan and a number of small hop farms have popped up near the Traverse City area. Like winery grapes, the vines like sunlight more than heat and thrive during the very long summer days. They are a good plant to grow for someone with no ability to grow anything, because they are mostly a weed and are nearly impossible to kill. In fact, God help you if you accidentally get one of these things growing in your yard that you don't want.

In a few months, this thing will be 20-feet long and will have wrapped itself completely around this old laundry line pole and down the line. Sometime in August, I'll be picking dozens of little green pine-cone-shaped flowers from it and drying them out in the shade.

The hops will be used in a nice IPA that I am planning to make called Summer's End.