Indian-hemp

Apocynum cannabinum

Found in forests, woodlands, roadsides, pastures. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

61

Strong

Native to West Virginia (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 2–5 feet
Spread: 1.5–2.5 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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Apocynum cannabinum — bloom photograph — (c) rboles, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: May to July
Fruiting season: September to October

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Recorded in 30 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 91 animals.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Coot
Fulica americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Canvasback
Aythya valisineria
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Wood-pewee
Contopus virens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gadwall
Anas strepera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Warbler
Wilsonia citrina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 1 shared habitat

Widespread birds also seen here (36)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Apocynum

Acronicta impressaImpressive Dagger, Printed Dagger
Acronicta noctivagaNight-Wandering Dagger, Burglar Dagger
Arctia parthenosSt. Lawrence Tiger Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
Clepsis clemensianaClemens' Clepsis
Cycnia oregonensisOregon Cycnia
Cycnia teneraDelicate Cycnia, Dogbane Tiger Moth
Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
Ostrinia penitalisAmerican Lotus Borer, Lily Moth

Show all 17

Papaipema baptisiaeWild Indigo Borer, Indigo Stem Borer
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Phragmatobia lineataLined Ruby Tiger Moth
Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
Saucrobotys futilalisDogbane Saucrobotys
Spargaloma sexpunctataSix-Spotted Gray
Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

18BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Apocynum

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Beetles 1

Trichius piger

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 10

Archytas analis
Bombylius atriceps
Cistogaster occidua
Limnophora narona
Phormia regina
Sciara atrata
Spallanzania hesperidarum
Sphaerophoria cylindrica
Trichophora ruficauda
Tropidia quadrata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 2

Argynnis cybele
Thecla calanus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 6

Astatus unicolor
Bicyrtes ventralis
Isodontia apicalis
Priononyx atrata
Priononyx thomae
Sphex vulgaris

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 2

Lygaeus turcicus
Lygus pratensis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Apocynaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–11b
Flower color: Green, pink or white
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: September
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Green, pink or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–11b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “2–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
Spread · “1.5–2.5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Hemp Dogbane; Indian Hemp

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources