# Swallow-wort (*Vincetoxicum hirundinaria*)

Swallow-wort is a pretty plant with lovely flowers that can grow in fields and gardens. It has long, green leaves and can climb up other plants for support.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Swallow-wort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Vincetoxicum_officinale.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Pipi69e assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincetoxicum_officinale.jpg)

## Appearance

The Swallow-wort is a perennial plant with twining stems that can climb other vegetation. It has glossy, oval-shaped leaves and produces clusters of small, star-shaped flowers, typically creamy-white to yellowish-green. These are followed by slender, canoe-shaped seed pods.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Gentianales
- **Family:** Apocynaceae
- **Genus:** Vincetoxicum

## Interesting facts

- Break a stem and watch milky white sap ooze out, just like a hidden secret!
- Despite its name, this plant is not related to true swallows at all!
- Its European name, Vincetoxicum, means 'to conquer poison', hinting at old medicinal uses!
- The unique star shape of its tiny flowers attracts specific small insects!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Shield Sap:** Swallow-wort has a milky sap that oozes out when damaged, helping it defend against hungry herbivores.
- **Parachute Seed Spread:** Swallow-wort produces seeds with silky tufts that act like tiny parachutes, helping them travel far on the wind.
- **Light Ladder Climb:** Swallow-wort can twine its stems around other plants, using them like a ladder to reach more sunlight.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 20-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** Swallow-wort Moth (*Abrostola asclepiadis*) — Its larvae feed exclusively on the plant's leaves.
- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits the small flowers to collect nectar and pollen.
- **Eats:** [Oleander Aphid](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oleander-aphid) (*Myzus asclepiadis*) — Sucks nutrient-rich sap from the stems and leaves.
- **Eaten by:** [Roe Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — Deer occasionally browse on the plant's foliage.

## Traits

- [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not eat any part of the plant without asking an adult, as some plants can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Swallow-wort?

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 Swallow-wort?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Swallow-wort spread?

20-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Swallow-wort?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Swallow-wort bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is Swallow-wort edible?

No

### Is Swallow-wort toxic?

Moderate

### What is Swallow-wort's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Swallow-wort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/swallow-wort)