Hop Vines Growing Wild, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

In Albums: Philadelphia plants

Jun 16th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

Hops were brought over to North America because of their use in beer; although not native to the area, they became naturalized, and now grow wild throughout much of the United States. Hops are fast-growing plants that grow well in disturbed areas, such as this small unmaintained area in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. They are also frequently found growing in floodplains and along streams, although as this picture shows, they do not necessarily have high water requirements. Hops are good climbers, and are easily climbing this chain-linked fence, but they also like to grow along the ground, as is shown by their growing out into the sidewalk here.