Dogbane SP.
Apocynum SP.
Apocynum species are notorious hybridizers, therefor it can be difficult to key down to the species level. These seeds were collected on a roadside in Dakota County. They are most likely Apocynum androsaemifolium (Spreading Dogbane) but could be Apocynum cannabinum (Indian Hemp) we can’t be sure until they are more mature unless they are a hybrid of some kind. Plant them and find out! Regardless, this is a very nutritious plant for insects! The flowers smell wonderful and they have amazing yellow fall color.
Apocynum SP.
Apocynum species are notorious hybridizers, therefor it can be difficult to key down to the species level. These seeds were collected on a roadside in Dakota County. They are most likely Apocynum androsaemifolium (Spreading Dogbane) but could be Apocynum cannabinum (Indian Hemp) we can’t be sure until they are more mature unless they are a hybrid of some kind. Plant them and find out! Regardless, this is a very nutritious plant for insects! The flowers smell wonderful and they have amazing yellow fall color.
Apocynum SP.
Apocynum species are notorious hybridizers, therefor it can be difficult to key down to the species level. These seeds were collected on a roadside in Dakota County. They are most likely Apocynum androsaemifolium (Spreading Dogbane) but could be Apocynum cannabinum (Indian Hemp) we can’t be sure until they are more mature unless they are a hybrid of some kind. Plant them and find out! Regardless, this is a very nutritious plant for insects! The flowers smell wonderful and they have amazing yellow fall color.
Local Name: Dogbane
Botanical Name: Apocynum SP.
Life Cycle: perennial
Light: part sun - full sun
Moisture: dry - mesic
Morphology Notes: Vertical growth up to 40”, with terminal flower clusters that are white and sometimes fragrant. Long, skinny seed pods form and explode with seeds that float in the air like milkweed in fact this plant looks A LOT like common milkweed, but Dogbane has thinner leaves.
Fruits, Seeds and etc: Like milkweeds this plant bleeds a latex sap that can irritate skin, however the fibers of this plant have been used for millennia to make rope.
Habit and habitat: At home in woodland edges, prairies, and roadsides. This plant does form colonies from rhizomes. Many consider it a weed but if you plant it with other aggressive species, you can watch them battle.
NH Propagation technique: Wild collected seed.
Companions: Yellow Prairie Grass, Switchgrass, Meadow Blazingstar
Ecological associations: Caterpillar host plant for moths, wasps, bees and a ton of other insects find refuge and forage with this plant.
Native Status: MN Native
Provenance: Dakota County
Special Powers: There are a few different species in the genus Apocynum and they hybridize freely, so it can be difficult to identify and key-out species. They are a resourceful and often overlooked plant. Use them to fill a void, fight-off Canada Goldenrod, grow it to make cordage or just be a presence for the insects it lives with.