Family Sapindaceae.
Originating from Australia and New Zealand.
- A willowy and beautifully poised evergreen shrub with unique colours.
- Magenta papery seeds are borne amongst purple foliage.
- Easy to grow and drought-tolerant in coastal and mild gardens.
The Purple Hop Bush in Your Garden
Fine burgundy-coloured young branches form an upright, airy, graceful shrub with slender, dusky purple leaves. Emerging green but quickly transforming to bronze and then purple, it continually bears a unique mix of foliage colours. In full sun and when temperatures cool in autumn, its colours can intensify to deep purple-black.
Relatively hardy in Southern and coastal UK gardens, it grows quickly to 2–3m tall and 1.5–2m wide. It performs particularly well in the dry seaside climates of Norfolk and is a standout choice for Suffolk’s gravel gardens. Its upright growth makes an excellent loose hedge or backdrop for silver foliage plants and brightly flowered species.
Its narrow, intricately veined leaves have a slightly wavy edge, adding interest when viewed close-up, and backlit by the sun. It adapts well to pot cultivation; its upright form makes an architectural and practical specimen for patio placement. Tiny flowers are followed by showy, magenta papery seeds, which give it its common name, Hop bush.
Did you know?
In Maori culture, the Purple Hop bush is known as akeake, meaning forever and ever. In its native habitat, the species can grow up to 12m tall and yields an extremely hard wood, used for spears and tools.
Growing Tips for Your Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’
- Soil and sun: any free-draining poor soil, full sun is essential for optimum foliage colours.
- Planting: from early spring to early autumn. Never plant a dry plant! Plunge or stand in water for 30 minutes to drench the root ball before planting.
- Watering and care: established plants growing in the ground are drought-tolerant; water regularly during their first summer while they root out. In pots, water and feed bi-weekly in summer, seldomly in winter. Grow in conservatories or garden rooms year-round, or move to patios for summer display. Plant out only in southern and coastal gardens.
Although the Purple Hop Bush is a popular Australian and New Zealand variety, the species viscosa is pan-tropical and common in South America. In Peru, the leaves are chewed for their stimulant effect, serving as a substitute for the coca leaf. A valuable plant for waterwise UK gardeners, its colours, form, and year-round beauty make it highly ornamental for all garden styles.
