#5 is dogbane or black indian hemp

black indian hemp is found along roads, ditches, old right of ways.......it seems to like moisture..........not real heavy moisture like a swamp.......but well drained ditches that retain just a tad bit of moisture.

this plant can grow 2 to 4 feet high and it looks like a skinny milkweed.
and it can grow deep....the root can be from 16 t0 24 inches deep..........and i have dug roots that have been 3 to 4 foot long at times. you will need a spade to dig this particular plant........a roundpoint shovel won't do the job here.

the root is about the size of a mans thumb

when you dig this plant wear gloves........the sap can get all over your hands and can be quite tough to wash off.

washing the root on this is quite easy.........i have a plastic tote that i fill with water and wash by hand .

i then set the roots directly on pieces of tin in direct sunlight turn often to make sure all sides get dry.



the ancient indians used this plant for for making binding materials.....they would take the fibers of this plant and make cordage from it.

this plant has uses in heart medicines.........but it is extremly poisonous in it's raw form...DO NOT TRY TO USE IT YOURSELF!

Another great learning tool.....thanks, Tom

INDIAN HEMP.. Apocynum cannabinum
INTERMEDIATE DOGBANE A.medium
SPREADING DOGBANE A.androsaemifolium

are the latter 2 considered the same as far as digging for roots?

both are subspecies but have the same properties as Apocynum cannabinum
the SPREADING DOGBANE A.androsaemifolium, is a lil more difficult to find.


all are accepted as black indian hemp

Thanks I always thought that stuff was a form of milkweed! Any market for it?

yepper randy..............i'm getting $4 per dried pound

Nice post

I thought I knew alot about plants but I know nothing.I have bought several books but have learned more in 5 posts on different plants than all the books combined.Thanks Foxxkid and Don!

just found a good patch of the stuff today. i'll have to dig it up.

well i went to dig it up but someone beat me to it with a bobcat. oh well.

Pulled some off my place and compared it to the pictures you put up. Sure enough its identical. The only difference is the roots almost 4 feet long . It's growing in some dry peat with a morrow shelf below it. Theres about 40 plants. I dont want to harvest it until I have a plan. So my question ... Is this enough to ship to evansville Tom

You can ship any amt. of roots you want to.

Thanks for the reply . Now that I know what to look for , there's probably more . Don ,Do I cut the roots off , or do you need part of the plant.

I am a German importer of a broad range of medicinal herbs, right now:

- 3 KGs dried roots of Spreading Dogbane (A. androsaemifolium); may buy also several 100 KGs !
- 15 KGs dried roots of Baneberry (Actea spicata)
- 3 KGs dried pitch of Black Spruce (Picaea mariana)
- 3 KGs dried buds of Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifera)
- 3 KGs dried bark fm branches of Round-leaved Dogwood (Cornus rugosa)
- 15 KGs dried leaves of Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum)
- 3 KGs dried whole plant of Ditch Stonecrop (Penthorum sedoides)
- 3 KGs dried Young branches with leaves of Poison Sumac (Tox. vernix)

I need for each item a batch related Harvest protocol, informing about date (dd/mm/yy), place (State, County, nearest town) and condition of collection, cleaning, drying, storing etc.
If you cannot export yourself, perhaps you can hint your local buyer to my post so that we can exchange contact details.

Love these posts!