Seeds

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Hops that are intended to extract the ingredients or for decoration are basically female. The hop umbels - the cone-shaped infructescence of the female plants - contain the desired ingredients or the decorative umbels. These umbels should not be pollinated, so a seed should not form in order not to jeopardize the use of the ingredients or to preserve the decorative value for a long time!

Seed formation is disruptive to both the ornamental value of the umbels and the processing of the ingredients and should be avoided. For this reason, there is an ordinance for the eradication of male hop plants in the Hallertau growing region, for example. The urgency of such a regulation stems from the fact that hops are wind pollinators. The pollen from the male plants is carried by the wind and can pollinate many female flowers, often from far away!