Summary ⁷

Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp) is a perennial herb that grows throughout North America. It is a poisonous plant (particularly to dogs) and can cause cardiac arrest if ingested. It is commonly mistaken for milkweed.

Botanical Information ⁸

Apocynum cannabinum is a North American plant of the dogbane family Apocynaceae (order Gentianales). Some common names include: Indian hemp, hemp dogbane, milkweed (a misnomer), honeybloom, bitter root, black hemp, lechuguilla, westernwall. It is a branched perennial that grows up to 1.5 m (5 feet) tall and has smooth opposite leaves and small white flowers. The flowering period occurs from mid-summer to early autumn. Each flower produces two thin pods that contain seeds with white silky hairs.

Ecological Information ⁹

Indian hemp usually lives in a place that has sunlight and soil moisture. It loves disturbed areas such as roadways, railroads and fields. It also occurs in wet areas such as river banks, marshes, shores and thickets. Indian hemp is native in North America. It also occurs in the central half of Canada and throughout United States. Indian hemp exudes a milky white sap that contains a cardiac glycoside that is a deterrent to herbivores.

Ethnobotanical Information ¹⁰

According to ethnobotanical reports, Indian hemp has been used by the Cherokee, Cree, Iroquois, Isleta, Kiowa, Luiseno, Navajo and Okanagon people. A decoction of the root was taken as a laxative by the Blackfoot tribe and used as a blood purifier by the Iroquois. (Note: Ethnobotanical reports often exclude important contextual information and related indigenous ecological knowledge.)

It gets it's common name, "Indian hemp" from it's use to make strong rope or cordage.

How to make natural Dogbane Indian hemp cordage:

1. Buff the bark off of the fibers.
2. Create the cordage using reverse wrap method.
3. Reverse wrap method: twisting the rope in half by twisting clockwise with your right hand to form a loop. Then, grabbing the top trace and winding it away from you clockwise (rolling back); grabbing the bottom string and winding counterclockwise until the bottom is in on the top.

References ¹¹

Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 53). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

DiTommaso, Clements, Darbyshire, Dauer. (2009, April 28). The Biology of Canadian Weeds. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. https://weedecology.css.cornell.edu/pubs/PUBLISHED%20Apocynum%20CanJPlantSci.%202009%2089%20977-992.pdf

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (2020, December 12). Apocynum cannabinum L.. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/297/

About the Author ¹²

Student author*: Mai Le (age 19) from Menaul School

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

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) Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/pauljill/50159560933/
3. (c) Tom Potterfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tgpotterfield/14303538127/
4. (c) dogtooth77, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/53817483@N00/946926024/
5. (c) Dendroica cerulea, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/dendroica/14486309790/
6. (c) Suzanne Cadwell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/scadwell/9177809794/
7. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
8. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) maile3103, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
9. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) maile3103, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
10. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
11. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
12. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, 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

iNat Map