Willamette Hops

Humulus lupulus 'Willamette'

PROHIBITED TO OR & ID

An excellent all-purpose hop! Considered a pillar of the US hops industry, Willamette is one of the most prolifically grown varieties in the US. First selected in Oregon in 1967, it received USDA accession in 1971 and was released the same year. When brewed, Willamette features complex spiciness characterized by both herbal, floral and fruity notes. It is widely used in many craft beers. The bitter flavor of the highly aromatic cone-like flowers gives flavor and aroma to beer and cider brewers. Hops die back to the ground each winter and then explode with rampant upright growth each spring; mature plants can grow over 20' in a single season! Young shoots may be used in salads or as an asparagus substitute; the paper-ey blossoms are ready for harvest in the fall. These fast-growing herbaceous vines quickly cover wires or a trellis to make an attractive screen, decorate an arch, or provide shade against a sunny wall. 

Vines are productive and early ripening, as well as disease resistant. Of the Fuggle types, Willamette is the slowest to break winter dormancy. Needs warm temperatures to really get going – does less than optimum in areas with lake effect cooling or if spaced too tightly. Tolerant of a wider range of pH and soil types than most hops. Space plants at least 8’ apart in full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Cold hardy to USDA zone 4.

Click here to read our Hop Growing Guide