Common Name:

General Information

Apocynum pictum is an erect, herbaceous, perennial plant producing stems up to 2 metres tall from a rhizomatous rootstock[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of fibre and latex.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Central Asia - Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, western China, Mongolia

Habitat

Salt-barren areas, desert margins, riversides[].

Properties

Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Lepidoptera
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Species in this genus generally succeed in sun or shade in most well-drained but moisture-retentive soils[, ].
The species has fragrant flowers and is grown as a honey plant[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The leaves yield up to 5% gum (?latex), which is used for making a medicine used as a sedative and to treat hypertension[].
The species has fragrant flowers and is grown as a honey plant[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The fragrant flowers are a good source of honey for bees[].

Other Uses

The strong bast fibres obtained from the inner bark are used in making cloth, strings, sails, fishing nests, and high-quality paper[].

The leaves yield up to 5% gum (?latex), which is used for making rubber[].

Propagation

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[].