There is a very nice shrub I've seen at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum called hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa). It's a wild form, with the seeds looking essentially the same. But are you wanting the vine, which I have seen growing in huge plantations in CA farms? The agricultural crop looks very impressive, growing in tall, vast cages. Here is a link that might be useful: Dodonaea viscosa (Master Gardeners, UA Pima Ext. page)

"A number of flavors are associated with spruce-flavored beverages, ranging from floral, citrusy, and fruity to cola-like flavors to resinous and piney." I think I'll stick with plain old hops-brewed beer. This sounds like a beer of last resort, similar to coffee made from Kentucky Coffee Tree. Better than nothing, but not much...

J, I don't know if you ever made that pillow but here's a little more info (and a recipe :o). I really like the smell (perhaps, oddly enuf) of the Artemisia that grows along the rivers after the water drops in the Summer. It is also here and there in dry creeks and such. Strong . . . I often pick a sprig and put it in my shirt pocket. I also grew Sweet Marjoram for the 1st time this year and have been trying to come up with uses for it . . . Once again; it has a fragrance that I just really like and IÂve been picking a little and carrying around in my pocket in and out of the garden. Apparently, Artemisia vulgaris is also called Mugwort. Here's a recipe using it, marjoram and hops from Jim Long's book on dream pillows: "Restful Sleep Pillow 1 tablespoon rose petals (any color as long as theyÂre fragrant and not chemically treated) 1 teaspoon mugwort 1 teaspoon marjoram 1 teaspoon hops (broken up a bit with your fingers) Fabric Thread Fiberfill "Mix herbs together. Sew previously washed cloth to make a 5-by-5-inch pillow, into which youÂll place some fiberfill, herb mixture and a bit more fiberfill, and sew the pillow closed. To use, simply place the pillow any-where inside your pillowcase  it doesnÂt matter where since most people move their heads around during sleep anyway. "Jim Long is a contributing editor to The Herb Companion magazine." digitS'

My experience in California growing hops was a good one. You start by buying a small twig like thing called a rhizome. They have an eye like a potatoe that you plant facing up. I have very sandy soil, and they seemed to love it. I started growing them in the ground, but they are quite invasive, so I began putting them in plastic 55 gallon drums that I cut in half with a skill saw (about one third of the drum's height for each "half", pitching the band in the middle). It took me a couple of years, but pretty soon that rhizome formed a massive network, and it was easy to cut off chunks, and start new barrels. When I moved I left these for the new owner, and I think he wanted them! I wish I had a barrel now to start another set. There are several varieties, but Cascade seems to be the hardiest for Texas, and its a very common hop for beer making. The real trick, though, it that they have to go up...like 12 ft.! I attached two tall 4X4s to my back fence, and ran clothes line between them. The I put twine vertically down to the barrels. When they are ready to harvest, you have created a big green wall of hop plants. I found a website where some guy in Texas makes his own derrick like support for his hops. I'd prefer a South facing fence to protect agaist the wind. You don't really get that many hops by wieght, and I would simply brew with the fresh picked hops to avoid the need for drying. They can be dried by sandwiching them between a couple of screen doors for a couple of days. My buddy just told me that hop prices are going through the roof right now, so a home brewer could justify the work in a couple of years. The plants are quite pretty, and some people weave baskets from the stripped vines. Hope this helps.