Main Discussion Area > Primitive Skills

Milkweed question???

(1/5) > >>

DanaM:
Can I harvest milkweed/dogbane now and let it dry indoors? Or does it have to dry naturally?

I haven't found any dogbane yet, but lots of common and swamp milkweed around.

Hillbilly:
Dana, it works now, just messy and sticky. I think the fibers are stronger later in the year, but I've used the green stuff and it works. It's also harder to get the outer bark/chaff off when you cut it green.

Minuteman:
Yeah, what Hillbilly said! :)
 Don't try making cordage out of it wet either. It dries and shrinks and is pretty much useless.
 

DanaM:
Thanks guys, I was thinkin of letting some dry for awhile. I found what I think may be dogbane, it doesn't look quite like what I find on the internet,
it has very narrow opposite, lancelote leaves and has milky sap. guess I will harvested a few and see eh.

Hillbilly:
Oh, and be careful fooling with green fresh dogbane-it's full of cardiac glycosides. There are a couple different species of dogbane, they all work for cordage. Google Indian hemp dogbane and spreading dogbane for pics.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page