Confusing plant look-alikes: Milkweed and Dogbane
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Today we are going to show you some differences between the milkweed and its lookalike, the Hemp Dogbane. Being in the same family, these plants are very similar. The milkweed has a single, strong, upright stem. The leaves are thick and pale green in color. The blooms are clustered at the top of the plant and are a pinkish color. The seed pods are large and have thick outer coatings. This is a host plant for the monarch butterfly. There are conservation efforts to help the population grow, you can help this native by cultivating it in your garden. The seed pods ripen in late summer and the seeds ride their silks on the wind. Save your seed before they set sail. Look closely, if you see weevil or beetle holes in the pods, the seeds may not be viable since they are a food source as well. The pods may need to be collected earlier in order to protect them from insects. Beware, all parts of the Milkweed have a milky sap that can cause dermatitis, you may want to wear gloves when handling the plants.
The Hemp Dogbane, Apocynum cannabinum, is a common meadow plant that is very prolific. It spreads by rhizomes and seed, making it hard to control. It is a host for many insects and butterflies like the American Lady, Grey Hairstreak and the Baltimore Checker spot. The blooms are pale green when they open and fade to white and are grouped in bell shaped clusters. The seeds also have silk and are in long, very thin pods. The upper portion of the plant is multi branched with a reddish tint to the stems in full sun. Dogbane also has a milky sap that can cause dermatitis, so handle with care. The stems are sturdy and have a fiber that can be used to make fabric, rope and string. Next time you are hiking in the meadows, quiz yourself and see if you can tell the difference!
Joyce Browning Horticulturist, Master Gardener Coordinator
Video credit: Bethany Evans Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program Alumni; CPH
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Milkweed is delicious and edible when it’s about 6 -12 inches! Steamed like asparagus but considered much more of a delicacy.
In the 1970’s a fella wrote a book about plants and their edibility. He accidentally thought he ate Milkweed but it was rag and and he became ill. He then wrote that Milkweed was not edible!!!!
It IS edible and has been for thousands of years edible when cooked.
Also it is great to harvest in the spring and was meant to be. When we eat or cut this back in early spring it send up new growth and when the butterflies get here it is the perfect softness to lay their eggs in. As we don’t harvest this anymore when the butterflies come they have to search for the proper softness to lay eggs. So cutting back was a great thing!
Yes! I eat the young flower bud clusters like broccoli (but still haven't had a chance to try the asparagus-style sprouts). I heard that those who claim that milkweed is toxic have actually confused it with dogbane.
Dog Bane has red stems - especially towards the top. Elliptical, opposite leaves with secondary stems, with smaller leaves, emerging from the same node as the larger leaves.
Yes when grown up but when you shouts dogbane and milkweed look exactly the same. So it’s important to have identified the milkweed the year before.
I was fooled! Thought I was doing good by leaving the milkweed when clearing my yard but after a few weeks I realize it’s Indian hemp!
Excellent for pollinators. Host plant for the Clearwing hummingbird moth.
I just realized this, too. I've let mine grow & spread for years thinking it was milkweed.
Nice comparison, thx
I’m confused. You said milkweed is poisonous, but I just watched two videos that said you can eat it.
Thanks! I'd never heard of Dogbane before. I have milkweed growing in my backyard for the butterflies but I did notice those red bugs. I have a fruit & veggies garden nearby and am wanting to get rid of pests organically. Are those red bugs bad for my other plants or do they only attach the milkweed? Do they compete with the monarchs? If I'm trying to grow the milkweed for the butterfly caterpillars - will putting DE on it kill the monarch? Please advise if I should attempt to get rid of these red bugs or just leave them alone? Thanks
Leave red bugs alone. Any chemical that kills them will kill larval Monarchs.
I just flick them off of my milkweed, but yes, they will eat the leaves & compete with the monarch larvae. Please don't put any chemicals on the plants, though! You could bring your caterpillars indoors if it becomes a big problem, just keep giving them fresh milkweed leaves.
So one cool thing about milkweed is that it is a plant that grows more when damaged. So if you Harvest the shoots to eat in the spring it will create more plants from the roots. Also it’s important to harvest the shoots so that the new growth will be the perfect age for when the monarchs come. If not harvested in spring then the plants are older and tougher and not as good for the monarchs. Humans were meant to eat the spring shoots to make the plant tender for the monarch arrival
Just discovered this isn’t s type of milkweed! I have common and swamp milkweed and beautiful fat monarch caterpillars. I mistakenly thought my Indian hemp was also milkweed because of its milky sap. I did see a hummingbird visiting so I’ll probably leave it till fall then pull them all out before the seed pods open.
What animallooks like a dog
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