NEN Gallery

This plant is native to the woods of southern England but is often found as a garden escape. It has a long hollow stem covered with tiny hooked prickles that enable it to cling to plants in hedgerows. It entwines itself around these plants always in a clockwise direction. Male and female flowers develop on separate plants and it is the female flowers that are harvested to preserve and flavour beer. The young shoots can also be collected, cooked and eaten. The tiny female flowers are hidden by big scales, which form cone like heads. The male flowers have short stalks and are borne in clusters. The leaves have three to five lobes. The flowers were also used at one time in pillows as it was felt they aided sleep and relieved stress.