What is the difference between Mingyue grass and dogbane? A quick guide to tell them apart

Mingyue grass and dogbane are two common Chinese herbal medicines, and both have heat-clearing effects. So, what is the difference between Mingyue grass and dogbane?

1. What is the difference between Mingyue grass and dogbane?

Mingyue grass is an herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, and can be used to clear heat and detoxify, relax sinews and set bones, cool the blood and stop bleeding, and to treat bronchopneumonia, high fever in children, red and swollen eyes, rheumatic joint pain, burns and scalds, and so on; while dogbane is the whole plant of Apocynum venetum of the Apocynaceae family, and has effects such as clearing fire, lowering blood pressure, strengthening the heart, promoting urination, and treating heart disease.

2. Propagation methods of Mingyue grass

Mingyue grass is mainly propagated by division or cuttings, mostly carried out from March to May each year. It is easy to cultivate; keep the growing medium moist, and roots will form in about 1 to 2 weeks. Sowing can also be used to raise seedlings. For the growing medium, a mixed substrate made from leaf mold, river mud, and garden soil can be used, with their proportions by volume being 0.5:2:2 in order. For pot cultivation, this can be done once the Mingyue grass seedlings have taken shape. A medium-sized flower pot without drainage holes is mostly used as the planting container. To achieve a better ornamental effect, 1 seedling can be placed in each pot, and water can be given after the operation is completed. To make it easier for the seedlings to recover, the planting operation is best carried out on cloudy days.

3. Propagation methods of dogbane

1. Seed propagation: dogbane seeds are tiny, and direct sowing does not easily produce seedlings, so the seeds should be treated first. After sowing, when the seedlings are about to emerge, remove the covering in the evening or in cloudy weather, and after 1 year of cultivation they can be transplanted.

2. Rhizome propagation: select rhizomes that are more than 2 years old, cut them into small sections 10 to 15 cm long, cover with 10 cm of soil and water. Cultivate in mid-March in North China and mid-April in Northeast China, and seedlings will emerge successively in about 30 days.

3. Division propagation: after the plant withers or before it sprouts in spring, dig the rhizomes and roots out of the clump and transplant them.