Summary ³

Apocynum cannabinum, known as hemp dogbane, is a tough-stemmed but herbaceous plant found in fields and prairies in much of North America. Broken stems exude a milky sap like milkweed, to which dogbane is related. Also like milkweeds, this plant is very toxic. The genus Apocynum means "poisonous to dogs".

Wildlife Interactions ³

Many insects that are associated with milkweed may also be found on dogbane. One of the most common insects found on dogbane is the dogbane beetle, a small, iridescent green beetle that spends its entire life cycle dependent on dogbane: its larvae live underground eating dogbane roots while the adults eat dogbane leaves.

Similar Species ³

Young dogbane may be mistaken for common milkweed. Dogbane has more slender leaves and branches out more than a mostly upright milkweed. Dogbane stems are redder than any milkweed, and its seedpods are much darker and more slender.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) J. N. Stuart, all rights reserved, uploaded by J. N. Stuart, http://www.flickr.com/photos/21786539@N03/3650559361
2. (c) Dendroica cerulea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/dendroica/9642238360/
3. (c) The Preserve at Shaker Village, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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