Dogbane is a perennial shrub that is native to and common in North America. Dogbane bark is a superb source of fiber
for making clothes, twine, nets, bags, etc. The plants are harvested in the fall, after the toxins drain
to the roots.
Plants: 6½–20′ (2–6 m) high, with reddish stems that
excude a milky latex if cut. This sap can cause blisters. Stems are woody at the base,
branching a lot further up.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, entire, broadly lanceolate, 2½–6 ⨉ 1–1¾″ (7–15 ⨉ 3–5 cm). Leaves are smooth on top and have fine white hairs below.
Flowers: White to greenish-white flowers have large sepals and a five-lobed corolla.
Each flower is ¼″ (6.3 mm) in size. They appear at leaf tips or leaf axils.
They appear from May to August.
Fruits: Flowers are replaced by pairs of narrow pointed pods about 4–5 ⨉ ⅛″ (10–12 cm ⨉ 3.2 mm). Each pod contains a large number of seeds, and has tufts of silky white hairs at its tips.
Habitats: Woods, ditches, and hillsides, in gravelly or sandy soil.
Edibility: Poisonous This is poisonous to dogs and livestock
as well as to people, and can cause heart attack. Stems contain a milky sap that causes skin to blister.
The “cannabinum” in the scientific name refers to a
similarity to Cannabis, because of the fibrous properties of both plants. Dogbane is not psychoactive.
Despite the plant’s toxicity, seeds can be ground to produce a meal.
Medical: Native Americans used this plant for a variety of
medical treatments, though its high degree of toxicity requires a great deal of expertise.
Apocynum cannabinum L. var. angustifolium (Wooton) N.H. Holmgren Apocynum cannabinum L. var. glaberrimum A. DC. Apocynum cannabinum L. var. greeneanum (Bég. & Beloserky) Woodson Apocynum cannabinum L. var. hypericifolium (Aiton) A. Gray Apocynum cannabinum L. var. nemorale (G.S. Mill.) Fernald Apocynum cannabinum L. var. pubescens (Mitchell ex R. Br.) Woodson Apocynum cannabinum L. var. suksdorfii (Greene) Bég. & Beloserky Apocynum hypericifolium Aiton Apocynum pubescens Mitchell ex R. Br. Apocynum sibiricum Jacq. Apocynum sibiricum Jacq. var. cordigerum (Greene) Fernald Apocynum sibiricum Jacq. var. farwellii (Greene) Fernald Apocynum sibiricum Jacq. var. salignum (Greene) Fernald Apocynum suksdorfii Greene Apocynum suksdorfii Greene var. angustifolium (Wooton) Woodson
7/27/2016 · Michaux State Forest, Caledonia State Park, Fayetteville, Pennsylvania · ≈ 1 × 1′ (39 × 34 cm)
This is poisonous to dogs and livestock
as well as to people, and can cause heart attack. Stems contain a milky sap that causes skin to blister.
The “cannabinum” in the scientific name refers to a
similarity to Cannabis, because of the fibrous properties of both plants. Dogbane is not psychoactive.
Despite the plant’s toxicity, seeds can be ground to produce a meal.
