Hemp Dogbane

Here's a Hemp Dogbane from last spring. I've talked about Hemp Dogbane before, but it was either to compare it with milkweed or to talk about its ecological benefits. But there's plenty of interesting things about them:

  • Though generally considered toxic to eat, it does have cardiac glycosides that could treat (with some dangers) heart problems. And just because it's poisonous, that hasn't stopped it from being used in tons of folk medicine.
  • The latex sap has been used with clay to make a chewing gum. (I'm not sure I'd personally be a big fan of latex-and-dirt gum, but apparently some folks feel differently.)
  • The Snowberry Clearwing caterpillars, 1 of my favorite moths [1], can use it as a host plant. (They can also use some of the honeysuckles as host plants.)
  • If you've got too much lead in your soil, Hemp Dogbane can help you remove it [2].
  • Despite some toxicity, livestock will sometimes eat it, which can make them ill. And of course dogs, who'll eat all sorts of strange stuff, can also get sick on them.
  • The stems have fiber that can be used to make textiles, including rope. My guess is that this would be a fairly tedious process, but if you really need a rope and there's a bunch of Hemp Dogbane around ...
June 3, 2023 at John Clyde Native Grassland Preserve
Photo 300859597, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] Snowberry Clearwings are great because they're decent sized, active during the day, and can be found relatively easily around other pollinators.

[2] I suppose there is then the question of how you dispose of the lead-saturated Hemp Dogbane. No solution is perfect, I suppose.

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