Minuteman Bikeway wild hops

Description

There is a scattering of hop vines along the Minuteman Bikeway, which runs from Cambridge, MA, to Bedford. The only vines I've seen are near the Trader Joes in Arlington, which is at 1427 Massachusetts Ave Arlington, MA 02476. This bikepath is actually an old railroad line, and before that, a main path through farmland from Boston out to Concord. One theory I've heard is that these hops are relics from the colonial era.

They are currently losing a competition with Japanese Tangleweed, which I think is a kind of bamboo. The vine climb up the tangleweed in the main section, but also along a fence by a hardware store, Arlington Coal and Lumber. I tried using the ripe catkins in a batch of beer, but they had a fairly low bitterness. Nice aroma, though.