Indian Hemp
Apocynum cannabinum
Family: Apocynaceae
What it is like
A perennial herbaceous plant with some edible, medicinal and other uses. A very good quality fibre obtained from the bark is used for making clothes, twine, bags, linen, and paper. Indian hemp is an unpleasantly bitter stimulant irritant herb that acts on the heart, respiratory and urinary systems, and also on the uterus. It has been used as a Antirheumatic; Cardiotonic; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emetic; Expectorant; Tonic; VD; Vermifuge; and for Warts. Similar to Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) as a fiber plant (see Hemp) but not as a source of a psychoactive drug. Common names include: Dogbane, Amy Root, Hemp Dogbane, Prairie Dogbane, Indian Hemp, Rheumatism Root, or Wild Cotton. Can be misspelt as Apocynum cannibinum
Apocynum cannabinum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Gravelly or sandy soil, mainly near streams. A common weed of cultivated land, usually found in shady or moist places.
North-eastern N. America.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used as a meal. A latex obtained from the plant is used as a chewing gum. After the latex has been squeezed from the plant it s allowed to stand overnight to harden into a white gum. The latex was sometimes mixed with clean clay.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Gum: can be chewed as a chewing gum or can often be used as a sweetener or thickening agent in foods.
Medicine
Rating: 2
Indian hemp is an unpleasantly bitter stimulant irritant herb that acts on the heart, respiratory and urinary systems, and also on the uterus. It was much employed by various native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a wide variety of complaints including rheumatism, coughs, pox, whooping cough, asthma, internal parasites, diarrhoea and also to increase milk flow in lactating mothers. The plant is still used in modern herbalism, but it should be used with great caution, and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner if taken internally. See the notes above on toxicity. The root is cardiotonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic and expectorant. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use. The fresh root is the most active part medicinally. It has been used in the treatment of syphilis and as a tonic. A weak tea made from the dried root has been used for cardiac diseases. A tea made from the root has been used as a vermifuge. The milky sap is a folk remedy for venereal warts.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Cardiotonic: A tonic for the heart.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Emetic: Induces vomiting.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
VD: Used in the treatment of venereal disease
Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.
Warts: Used in the treatment of warts, corns etc.
Other
Rating: 3
The flowers are attractive to bees. Other Uses: A very good quality fibre obtained from the bark is used for making clothes, twine, bags, linen, paper etc. It is about 12 - 18mm long. Very strong, it is used as a flax substitute, it does not shrink and it retains its strength in water. The fibre is produced late in the season, it can be harvested after the leaves fall in autumn but are probably at its best as the seed pods are forming. When making paper, the stems can be retted by leaving them in the ground until they are dry in the winter or they can be harvested in late summer, the leaves removed and the stems steamed to remove the fibre. The stems are then cooked for two hours with lye and pounded with mallets. The plant yields a latex which is a possible source of rubber. The latex is also used as chewing gum. Carbon Farming - Industrial Crop: hydrocarbon, fibre. The dogbane-milkweed family Asclepias, Apocynum, Calotropis, and Trachomitum spp) has been used for fiber industrial crops for millennia with a number in cultivation as regional crops. All of these crops are dual-purpose fibres, offering bast fibres from the stem and seed fibre or ‘floss’ in the fruit pods. Many have also been identified as potential hydrocarbon crops due to high latex content. Could be integrated into various agroforestry systems rather than as monocultures.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Gum: Gums have a wide range of uses, especially as stabilizers, emulsifiers, thickening agents, adhesives etc.
Latex: A source of rubber.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Industrial Crop: Hydrocarbon: Materials, chemicals and energy include bioplastics, rubber, biomass products gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, butane, propane, biogas. Plants are usually resprouting plants and saps.
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
Succeeds in sun or shade in most well-drained moist soils. Plants can be invasive. The young shoots of this plant are extremely attractive to slugs. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: minor global crop. Management: hay.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in late summer and overwintered outdoors. The seed requires a period of cold stratification if it is to germinate well. Prick out the seedlings when large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter, planting out in late spring of the following year. Division in spring just before active growth begins. Plants can also be divided in the autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Meadow;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
All parts of the plant are poisonous. It contains toxic cardioactive glycosides.
This plant can be weedy or invasive growing from spreading roots.
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Apocynum cannibinum (misspelt)