Indian Hemp, Spreading Dogbane (A. androsaemifolium) and other North American Dogbane species are not particularly showy, but we all know an introduced cousin, Periwinkle (Vinca minor).
The Dogbane family consists of herbs and shrubs, with trees growing in tropical regions. They produce solitary or cluster flowers, and have milky juice, which is why many folks think they are members of the Milkweed family. The flowers are radially symmetrical. The calyx consists of 5 united sepals; the corolla 5 united petals. Along with the 5 stamens, all these parts are attached at the base of the ovary.
The leaves are simple and can be opposite, whorled or alternate. The fruit produced is a pair of pods, sometimes attached at the style.
There are about 200 genera in the Dogbane family, and 2,000 species. They are most abundant in the tropics and subtropics.
Spreading Dogbane is a bushy plant with numerous small nodding, pink, bell-like flowers. They are fragrant and striped inside with a deeper pink. It blooms throughout most of North America during the summer months, and prefers dry woods, thickets, fields and roadsides.
Indian Hemp is similar, with erect clusters of greenish-white flowers, and is also found in fields. Another North American species, Clasping-leaved Dogbane (A. sibiricum), grows throughout the Northeast in sandy or gravelly habitats.
Periwinkle, a popular ground cover in gardens, long ago escaped cultivation, taking over wherever it got the chance. Oleander (Nerium oleander), another popular garden plant, is also a member of the Dogbane Family.
Every bit as boisterous as many Dogbanes aren’t, the Holly family (Aquifoliaeace) dares you to not notice it. Primarily evergreen trees and shrubs, the pointy, sometimes thorny leathery leaves, and showy display of berry-like fruit make hollies unmistakable (though its flowers, like those of the Dogbane family, are also small, growing in clusters or solitary). And of course it’s high on the Christmas decor list.
North American species include Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and Yaupon (I. vomitoria). Both grow in wet environments. Winterberry (which also grows in dry sites) can be found from New England south to Georgia, west to Mississippi and north to Minnesota. Yaupon grows in the Southeastern U.S. While the bright red berries of Winterberry are a popular food source to birds, the berries of Yaupon are not.
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