Dogbane

A rather unprepossessing wildflower, as wildflowers go, with a lady beetle (probably not native) on it. Hemp dogbane is another name - apparently the fibers can be used to make textiles. Interestingly - it is toxic to humans, dogs and horses - both when it is green and when it is dried. Cows are not mentioned. Given that there's rather a lot of it in a particular spot in the hayfield we walk through at the beginning of our morning walk, I wonder about the stuff they bale twice a year. Hmm. Is it being fed to horses??? Also the Wikipedia article says it blooms in July and August, but it very clearly blooms here in May and June. Since it grows all over North America, I suppose saying July and August is rather silly given the difference in the emergence of spring. And, of course, there's the whole climate change thing.