# Dogbane...



## Pablo (Jun 3, 2011)

I've looked around for dogbane but to no avail. I read somewhere a while back that it was growing out of control in Cordele, but I dont know anyone there. Anyone know where a fella' could go to find some in the North GA Mountains... preferably in the Jasper/Dawsonville area? Or I also go down to the Dublin/Glenwood area in to visit kin folks, anybody know of dogbane down that way, I sure could use some.


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## Nicodemus (Jun 3, 2011)

Send a PM to Chehawknapper. He is very familar with it. I`ve worked with but never gathered any. Ben did mention that you generaly get your feet wet while gatherin` it.


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## Trefer (Jun 3, 2011)

Pablo, 
Plenty of it between my house and Jasper.    I'll be glad to point some out to you.


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## Trefer (Jun 4, 2011)

The dogbane around here is blooming right now. Little white flowers on top.  Look for that and the red stem.  Thats easy to see while driving - and it is pretty fond to roadsides!


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 4, 2011)

Dogbane grows in scattered spots-it's only here and there but where you find it there's usually a lot of it in one spot. I find a lot on roadbanks.


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## yote killa (Jun 4, 2011)

what do u use it for?


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## Nicodemus (Jun 4, 2011)

yote killa said:


> what do u use it for?





The bark makes some really strong cordage. Water doesn`t affect it like it doeas most other natural cordages either.


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## trial&error (Jun 5, 2011)

So is this one of those rhetting and pounding things or does it come apart easier?


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## Nicodemus (Jun 5, 2011)

trial&error said:


> So is this one of those rhetting and pounding things or does it come apart easier?





Dry the stalk, crush it and peel the bark off. Then you can twine it into cordage. The "bail" on this popular bark basket is dogbane.


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## Trefer (Jun 5, 2011)

Very nice basket Nic


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## Nicodemus (Jun 5, 2011)

Trefer said:


> Very nice basket Nic





Thanks Trefer. Mr. Kirkland taught me how to work poplar, and also dogbane too. June has done slipped up on us, and I need to make a few more of them to add to my gear.


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## David Payne (Jun 5, 2011)

being that dogbane is a root colonizer (spreads be sending up shoots from the root further and further out) be sure and harvest by cutting them, not pulling them up.  If you pull them up, you damage the root system and the health of the plant colony. if you cut em off, another one will come up to replace it.  watch the sap- white and sticky/messy and toxic.  Thats why they call it dogbane, cause iffn a dog eat it, it can kill the dog.


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## Trefer (Jun 6, 2011)

Pablo, 
I had to go to Jasper yesterday. Scoped out a couple of dogbane patches on the way between Dawsonville and Tate.  I sent you a PM with some locations....If you're interested I saw some pretty healthy looking milkweed, too.  Another good cordage plant.


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## Trefer (Jun 6, 2011)

I'd like to learn how to identify horseweed if anybody has any advice! Word is its a great hand drill material for fires, but I don't know what it looks like!


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 6, 2011)

Trefer said:


> I'd like to learn how to identify horseweed if anybody has any advice! Word is its a great hand drill material for fires, but I don't know what it looks like!



You've probably seen it a million times-it's really common in disturbed soil, roadbanks, all over the place. It's the best handdrill material I've ever used, by far.


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## Al33 (Jun 6, 2011)

This is a very interesting thread. Dogbane, poplar bark, and horseweed. I just learned a lot in only a matter of minutes.

What else y'all got to educate me?


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## Nicodemus (Jun 6, 2011)

Al33 said:


> This is a very interesting thread. Dogbane, poplar bark, and horseweed. I just learned a lot in only a matter of minutes.
> 
> What else y'all got to educate me?





I timed Ben when he made a hand drill friction fire, usin` horseweed on yucca, from start-when he first started to twist the spindle, to holdin` a live fire in his hand- in 7 seconds flat. In front of about 100 witness, at the Buckarama about 10 or 11 years ago.


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## Trefer (Jun 6, 2011)

I think it takes him 8 seconds now that he's gotten so OLD!
 lol (sorry Ben, couldn't resist)

It takes me longer than that using a blowtorch and gasoline!


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## Nicodemus (Jun 6, 2011)

Trefer said:


> I think it takes him 8 seconds now that he's gotten so OLD!
> lol (sorry Ben, couldn't resist)
> 
> It takes me longer than that using a blowtorch and gasoline!





 Him and me have a standin` joke about old age!


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## Pablo (Jun 6, 2011)

I appreciate all the information everybody. Trefer, will have to plan up another trip out your way soon to look at dogbane. Would like to learn more of this horseweed too. I went down to Decatur to visit some friends this past weekend. Early next morning I went mongering down the railroad tracks behind their home and I'll be danged if I didnt find a couple patches of dogbane. Wasn't positive that it was dogbane till I saw your photos Trefer. But having some to harvest up around here closer to home is better.


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## Pablo (Jun 6, 2011)

Nic, now you have given me another project to try out. Any tips on making poplar bark baskets?


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## Trefer (Jun 6, 2011)

NCHillbilly said:


> You've probably seen it a million times-it's really common in disturbed soil, roadbanks, all over the place. It's the best handdrill material I've ever used, by far.



Man o man....you are right. that stuff is everywhere.  Just goes to show you don't know whats right under your nose! Thanks for the photo and info NCH....
is it ok to harvest this now or should I let it grow and toughen up a little more?


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## chehawknapper (Jun 6, 2011)

*Dogbane, horse weed and poplar baskets*

Paplo,sorry I have been out of town at the Lawrenceville powwow and the Cherokee Gourd Gathering. Trefer will lead you straight on the dogbane. Ya,ll have more up your way than we do down here. Since the State is having budget cuts, they are not cutting the roadside as often as normal and I,m seing it everywhere. Nick, there is even a good patch in northern Lee Co. Horse weed is just about anywhere there is disturbed soil. Awfully hard to beat it on yucca for hand drill. It is not too late to gather tulip poplar bark for baskets in n. Ga. I would be surprised if it will peel and work without splitting in s. Ga. Because how long it has been without appreciable rain.


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## Nicodemus (Jun 6, 2011)

chehawknapper said:


> Paplo,sorry I have been out of town at the Lawrenceville powwow and the Cherokee Gourd Gathering. Trefer will lead you straight on the dogbane. Ya,ll have more up your way than we do down here. Since the State is having budget cuts, they are not cutting the roadside as often as normal and I,m seing it everywhere. Nick, there is even a good patch in northern Lee Co. Horse weed is just about anywhere there is disturbed soil. Awfully hard to beat it on yucca for hand drill. It is not too late to gather tulip poplar bark for baskets in n. Ga. I would be surprised if it will peel and work without splitting in s. Ga. Because how long it has been without appreciable rain.





Ben, I got almost 4/10ths of an inch Saturday. Before that, seems like months since any rain. I need to gather me up some raw material. Thanks for the heads up.


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 7, 2011)

Trefer said:


> Man o man....you are right. that stuff is everywhere.  Just goes to show you don't know whats right under your nose! Thanks for the photo and info NCH....
> is it ok to harvest this now or should I let it grow and toughen up a little more?



I usually cut it later in the summer after it blooms, but you could try it now. Poplar makes a good hearthboard for horseweed, too. You can even make arrows from it, but it's a little on the light side to suit me and you have to put nock inserts and foreshafts in them. A buddy of mine killed a big doe with a horseweed arrow a couple years ago.


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## Trefer (Jun 7, 2011)

Ben you going back to Rome this year? Frank ever call you?


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## chehawknapper (Jun 8, 2011)

Ray and Rosie told us that Frank said we were welcome back anytime. So, now we are back to that problem of do we have the time.


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## Trefer (Jul 15, 2011)

NCHillbilly said:


> I usually cut it later in the summer after it blooms, but you could try it now. Poplar makes a good hearthboard for horseweed, too. You can even make arrows from it, but it's a little on the light side to suit me and you have to put nock inserts and foreshafts in them. A buddy of mine killed a big doe with a horseweed arrow a couple years ago.



Hey Hillbilly, 
I've been watching the horseweed around here (at least I'm pretty sure thats what it is based on the photos and descriptions), but nothing seems to be blooming.  It just keeps branching out and getting wider at the top.  That normal?


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## chehawknapper (Jul 16, 2011)

Richie, it is easy to confuse horseweed and goldenrod until they bloom. Horsweed blooms are white and of course goldenrod is yellow. Once you have identified it enough times you will be able to tell it by just looking at the dried hand drill stick without leaves or blooms. Sowthistle tops branch out somewhat similar to the other two but the leaves give it away quick.


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## Nugefan (Mar 6, 2014)

chehawknapper said:


> Richie, it is easy to confuse horseweed and goldenrod until they bloom. Horsweed blooms are white and of course goldenrod is yellow. Once you have identified it enough times you will be able to tell it by just looking at the dried hand drill stick without leaves or blooms. Sowthistle tops branch out somewhat similar to the other two but the leaves give it away quick.



Does Horseweed usually have such a big pithy center ???


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## NCHillbilly (Mar 6, 2014)

Yeah, horseweed usually has a pithy center. Some individual plants are more pithy than others.


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## waddler (Mar 7, 2014)

I have Horseweed with narrow leaves and another plant that looks like it with much bigger leaves that are similar in structure. Is there more than one kind of Horseweed in Bogart?


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## chehawknapper (Mar 7, 2014)

Only one specie of horse weed in the east. Leaf size can vary according to the thickness of the stalk and fertility of the soil. Study goldenrod to make sure you are not confusing it. It is easy to do at first. Once you thoroughly know it, you can spot while going 70 on the expressway. I prefer to let the stalk mature (after it blooms) before cutting. However, I have cut some after the plant had died back and twisted up a coal on the spot.


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## waddler (Mar 8, 2014)

My plants are definitely not goldenrod. They both bloom white. The biggest leaves are as much as 12 inches long and at least 2 inches wide. Everything else is same on the two plants, and they grow in the same area, but not so much side by side.


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## waddler (Mar 9, 2014)

Are there any folks on here interested in forming a "Foraging Group" centered around Athens? I have found a website that sponsors this type thing and think it would be fun to form a group to meet periodically to spend time in the field learning about, collecting and enjoying meals including the forage.

Shoot me a PM if you have interest.


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