Common Dogbane, Apocynum androsaemifolium L., Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Spreading Dogbane

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Spreading Dogbane	Apocynum androsaemifolium L.	Dogbane	Upland	Early Summer
Other names and notes	(Common Dogbane). The Dogbanes are plants with a milky juice, short bell-shaped flowers with five lobes, widely branched at the top with the flowers in clusters. Spreading Dogbane has pinkish bell shaped flowers with red lines inside and with flaring, re curved lobes. Leaves are opposite with short stalks. The plant is shorter than Indian Hemp and tends to sprawl and lie atop other plants. The seeds form in long, thin pods and when released have white filaments attached for easy transport by air currents. The genus name Apocynum is from the Greek for "away from dog" thus giving the common name - Dogbane.


Above left and center: The bell shaped flowers of late June to early July. Right: Seeds releasing from a typical long seed pods. Pods can also remain over winter and open in the spring.

Notes: This plant is indigenous to the Garden area. Eloise Butler catalogued it on May 31, 1907. It is native to Minnesota in most counties except for the SW Quadrant where it is found in only a few area. For more information and lore click here:

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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