Apocynum androsaemifolium

Bitter dogbane

Family: Apocynaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bitter dogbane is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada Forests, Sierra Nevada, central western California, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, Modoc Plateau, and White and Inyo Mountains in open slopes and rocky places with conifers and chaparral at elevations of 200 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces pale pink to white bell-shaped flowers in terminal clusters 4 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with diffuse-branched stems that spread widely, it reaches heights of 30 to 100 centimeters with a distinctive sprawling habit. Its leaves are broadly oval, 4 to 6 centimeters long, with rounded or heart-shaped bases and rounded to slightly pointed tips, arranged oppositely along the stems. The plant produces long, pendulous fruits 7 to 11 centimeters in length that hang from the branch tips.

Habitat: Open slopes, rocky places, with conifers, chaparral

Bloom period: May-Oct

Elevation: 200-2500 m

Bioregions: NW, CaRH, n SNF, SNH, CW (exc SCoRO), SnGb, SnBr, PR, MP, W&ampI

California counties: Humboldt, Nevada, Plumas, Tehama, San Bernardino, Fresno, Inyo, Los Angeles, Kern, Mariposa, Mono, Riverside, Tulare, Trinity, Yuba, Modoc, Butte, Tuolumne, Siskiyou, Alpine, Placer, El Dorado, Shasta, San Diego, Amador, Lake, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Del Norte, Sacramento, Lassen, San Joaquin, Orange, Napa, Monterey, San Francisco, Glenn, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Alameda, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Calaveras, Ventura, Colusa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.