# spreading dogbane (*Apocynum androsaemifolium*) Spreading dogbane is a lovely plant with pretty flowers that attract butterflies. It grows in sunny places and can spread out wide, making it a great addition to gardens. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![spreading dogbane](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/SpreadingDogbane.JPG&width=800) Photo: Emily S. Kloosterman, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SpreadingDogbane.JPG) ## Appearance The spreading dogbane has slender, reddish stems and oval leaves. Its small, bell-shaped flowers are typically pinkish-white, often with darker stripes inside. It usually grows in bushy clumps. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Gentianales - **Family:** Apocynaceae - **Genus:** Apocynum ## Interesting facts - It's a cousin to milkweed, but without the famous monarch butterfly connection! - Its scientific name means 'away dog,' a nod to its poisonous history! - Its strong fibers were once used by Native Americans to weave twine and fishing nets! - Some tiny caterpillars can eat its toxic leaves without getting sick! ## Special abilities - **Sticky Trap Nectar:** Spreading dogbane has tiny sticky pads inside its flowers that can briefly trap small insects, ensuring good pollination. - **Poisonous Protection:** This plant creates a milky, toxic sap to deter hungry animals, making it unappetizing to most herbivores. - **Underground Spreader:** Spreading dogbane can grow deep underground roots and rhizomes, allowing it to quickly form large, dense patches. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 30-90 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar - **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — gathers nectar and pollen from blooms - **Pollinates:** Syrphid Fly (*Ceriana abbreviata*) — mimics a wasp and visits flowers ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Don't eat any part of the plant, as it can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify spreading dogbane? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is spreading dogbane? 30-100 cm ### How wide does spreading dogbane spread? 30-90 cm ### How big are the flowers on spreading dogbane? 0.5-1 cm ### When does spreading dogbane bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is spreading dogbane edible? No ### Is spreading dogbane toxic? High ### What is spreading dogbane's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Minnesota Landscape Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/minnesota-landscape-arboretum) — Minnesota, US · Botanical Garden - [Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stevens-coolidge-house-and-gardens) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Bromley Rock Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bromley-rock-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Mehatl Creek Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mehatl-creek-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Valhalla Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/valhalla-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see spreading dogbane](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/spreading-dogbane) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Spreading Dogbane: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spreading-dogbane)