ToxicDo not eat
Hemp dogbane
Apocynum cannabinum
Milkweed cousin with branching stems and toxic sap. Superb cordage, bad food.
- Marks
- Branching; paired skinny pods; milky sap
- Size
- 2–4 ft
- Habitat
- Fields and creek terraces.
- Season
- June–August.
- Frequency
- common
Opposite leaves, milky sap, but much more branched than milkweed, with small pale bells and thin hanging pods in pairs.
Uses
One of the best wild fibers in the county — late-fall stalks.
Lookalikes
Common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Thick opposite leaves, pink flower balls, milky sap. Monarch host. Young shoots and pods are traditional food if boiled.
CautionEdible cooked