Dodonaea Viscosa, Hopbush - 0.5 kg Seeds

Hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa), known as sanatta, is a fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree with slender erect branches, narrow sticky-resinous leaves and papery winged seed capsules that turn an attractive reddish hue. It is exceptionally tough and adaptable.

The dense, wind-firm growth makes it a favourite for hedges, windbreaks, sand-dune and slope stabilisation and the rehabilitation of degraded land; the wood is used for fuel and small implements, and the plant has traditional medicinal uses. Highly drought- and salt-tolerant, it thrives where little else will. In India it grows across the dry hills, ravines and coastal tracts of many regions, from the plains to the lower Himalayas.

• Family: Sapindaceae
• Native region: Pantropical, including India
• Mature height: 1–3 m (occasionally to 8 m)
• Growth rate: Fast

The hard-coated seeds germinate poorly without pre-treatment: pour hot water over them and allow them to soak as the water cools for 12–24 hours. Sow the swollen seeds about 0.5 cm deep in nursery beds or polybags of well-drained soil; germination usually takes 14–21 days. Grow the seedlings on under light shade and transplant the hardened plants to a sunny, well-drained site.