Dodonaea spp.
hop-bushes
Australia and warm regions worldwide (via D. viscosa)
Overview
Dodonaea spp. is a genus of about 70 evergreen shrubs and small trees in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, most diverse in Australia but reaching Africa, the Americas, and Asia through the wide-ranging D. viscosa. Plants are typically 3-15 feet (0.9-4.5 m) tall, with some reaching small-tree size, and bear narrow, often sticky leaves that can be simple or divided. The genus is known as hop-bushes for its papery, winged seed capsules, which ripen in clusters through green, pink, red, and tan and were once used as a substitute for hops. Flowers are small and greenish-yellow, lacking petals, with male and female flowers usually on separate plants, so the colorful capsules form only on female plants. Dodonaea spp. tolerates drought, heat, wind, and salt spray, which makes it useful for exposed and coastal sites. The purple-leaved form of D. viscosa is widely grown for its bronze to maroon foliage. Plants can self-seed freely in favorable conditions.
Native Range
Australia holds most of the species, while D. viscosa grows wild across tropical and warm-temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, on coastal dunes, rocky slopes, and disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Dodonaea spp. is used as a fast screening and hedging shrub, as a windbreak, and for stabilizing banks and coastal sand. Purple-leaved forms of D. viscosa are planted as foliage accents and contrast shrubs. The winged seed capsules are cut for dried arrangements.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3' - 15'
Width/Spread3' - 12'
Bloom Information
Small greenish-yellow flowers open from late winter into spring, varying with climate and species. They lack petals and are wind-pollinated, with male and female flowers usually on separate plants. The winged capsules develop on female plants through spring and summer and color red as they ripen.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Green to bronze-purple in purple-leaved formsGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Dodonaea spp. grows in full sun in a wide range of free-draining soils, including sandy, rocky, and poor ground, and tolerates drought, heat, wind, and coastal salt once established. Young plants are watered until rooted, after which most species need little irrigation. The genus is frost tender to half-hardy, suited outdoors to roughly USDA zones 9 to 11, though D. viscosa withstands light frosts. Plants respond well to clipping and can be grown as informal hedges or screens. In mild, moist conditions they may self-seed into surrounding ground.Pruning
Plants are trimmed after the capsules fade to shape them or to maintain a hedge, and they resprout readily from old wood. Light, regular clipping produces dense growth, while hard pruning renews leggy shrubs. Removing the female plants seed capsules early limits self-seeding.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 5 gallons