Flower:

Bell-shaped flower, pink to white with pink stripes on the inside, 1/3 inch long, with 5 flaring lobes that curl back. Flowers are in groups of 2 to 10 at the end of stems that branch out from the leaf axils in the upper part of the plant, or at the end of a leaf branch.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are 1½ to 4 inches long and up to 2 inches wide, generally oval with pointed tips and a short leaf stalk. They are toothless, usually hairy underneath, sometimes have a slightly wavy edge, and may be drooping. Attachment is opposite. The branching stems are often more horizontal than erect, as if under too much weight from the flowers. Stems are green or red.

Fruit:

Fruit is a slender pod 2 to 6 inches long that ripens from green to a dull red.

Notes:

Spreading Dogbane is fairly common along roadsides in Minnesota but the small flowers make it inconspicuous, until fall colors turn it bright yellow. Then it is hard to miss the small patches scattered along highways and county roads. A big mass we found along a roadway in Cass County (see more photos below) was a real treat.