Apocynum Androsaemifolium, Bitter Dogbane
Plants > Wildflowers > Apocynaceae > Apocynum Androsaemifolium
Common name:
Bitter dogbane
Family:
Scientific name:
Apocynum androsaemifolium
Main flower color:
Range:
The Rocky Mountains and most parts of states to the west; less common in the Great Plains
Height:
Between 1 and 2 feet
Habitat:
Forest clearings, chaparral, open hillsides; up to 8,000 feet
Leaves:
Ovate, entire, opposite, up to 2 inches long, on short stalks
Season:
May to October
Apocynum androsaemifolium is a low growing, branched, shrub-like species that can form large clumps. Plants are quite colorful; bright green leaves (paler underneath), reddish stems and light pink flowers. Stems contain milky sap. Leaves have distinct, lighter-colored veins, and rounded tips. They are angled outwards or downwards, rather than upwards. Leaf length is around twice the width.
Flowers grow from the tip of the stems and the upper leaf nodes; they have a bell-shaped corolla that opens to five small lobes. Stamens and stigma are short, generally hidden at the base of the corolla tube. Beneath the flower are five pinkish green sepals (fused at the base), often bent back away from the corolla. The calyx is much shorter than the corolla - unlike the similar apocynum cannabinum. Each flower produces a pair of cylindrical fruits.
Flowers grow from the tip of the stems and the upper leaf nodes; they have a bell-shaped corolla that opens to five small lobes. Stamens and stigma are short, generally hidden at the base of the corolla tube. Beneath the flower are five pinkish green sepals (fused at the base), often bent back away from the corolla. The calyx is much shorter than the corolla - unlike the similar apocynum cannabinum. Each flower produces a pair of cylindrical fruits.
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