Apocynaceae (Apocynum)
Apocynum (androsaemifolium)
Apocynaceae
Dogbane Family
Apocynum
androsaemifolium
L.
Spreading Dogbane
APAN2
Dry sandy or rocky woodlands with oak, pine, aspen, bracken fern, and sweet fern. Prospers afer disturbance such as fire and logging. Reddish stemmed, milky-juiced perennial up to 1.3 m tall, usually unbranched but wide- spreading arching branches above.
plants
seed
Container (plug)
0
Seed is collected by hand from locally native plants within the eastern central Upper Peninsula. The flowers bloom in June and July. Pods, slender hanging down 7-20cm long. Seed is harvested in September.
Dry seeds for 1-2 weeks in open paper bags or open Rubbermaid-style bins, shaking or turning sed heads. Seeds are not cleaned. Once seeds have dried begin stratification.
Stratification: mix the seeds with an equal amount of moist perlite or vermiculite. Put mixture into a Ziploc-style bag or a Rubbermaid-style container. Seal the container and proceed with 1 month of moist cold stratification in a cool dry place (refrigerator or cold garage). Cold store until planted (up to 3 years).
Propagation Environment: Greenhouse film is made of Standard U.V. 3 HL Clear 6 mil (J.R. Johnson's Greenhouse Supply Inc.) Fans run continuously to circulate the air. Vents open during the summer months for cooling. Container Type: grows best in 24 cell (2" diameter) 14"x8.5"x4" deep flats. Does not do well in deep and narrow plug cells. Sowing Media: Scotts Redi-earth Plug and Seedling Mix. Contains vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss. Soil is sterile.
Thoroughly moisten the soil with water, mixing in the water with a trowel. Cover the holes in the bottom/sides of the plug tray cells with newspaper so that the soil does not fall out. Fill cells with damp soil press soil down with a spoon. Refill the cell plugs with soil to the top, this time not pressing it down. Water the soil in the plug cells again. Sow the seeds by hand at a rate of about 3 seeds in each cell. Cover the seeds with a thin amount of soil. Sow spreading dogbane seeds at all times of the year due to their unpredictable germination.
From Jan. until Aug. the greenhouse thermostat is set at 65 degrees F both night and day. Ambient greenhouse temperatures may reach 100 degrees F during the day in the summer. From Sept. thru Dec. the thermostat is set at 55 degrees F. During this season ambient greenhouse temperatures may reach 75 degrees F during the day. The greenhouse holds plants at all stages of growth so the temperature setting stays the same for all plants at all stages of growth. Soil is kept consistently damp during germination. Water using a fine mist or light hose setting only. Newly planted trays are placed on the south side of the greenhouse. No artificial light is used.
The soil does not need to be consistently moist. Move trays to cooler north greenhouse tables. No fertilizers are used.
In early-late spring, mature plants can be moved into a cold frame with a cover of material that diffuses sunlight to prevent scorching of the plants. When danger of frost has passed, leave plants directly outside. Water less frequently.
In the Upper Peninsula, flats are transplanted into the field from late May to early October. Flats that are not planted in the summer remain in the greenhouse for another season.
Plugs somewhat delicate and difficult to transplant. Due to its rapid spreading, it israrely planted in gardens.
Schultz, Jan; Beyer, Patty; Williams, Julie. 2001. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Apocynum androsaemifolium L. plants USDA FS - Hiawatha National Forest Marquette, Michigan. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/02/22). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
