Wood nettle is a native erect perennial herb in the Urticaceae family found naturally in forests or natural areas in rich woods, moist bottomlands of rivers and streams. It thrives in rich, moist soils with partial to deep shade. The plant grows in dense large sweeping areas to a height of 2 to 4 feet. Propagate it by seed or by dividing its spreading rhizomes in the spring. With conspicuous stinging and non-stinging hairs on the above-ground parts of this plant, it is well known to cause painful contact dermatitis. Wear gloves when handling this plant, though the stinging and burning usually subsites in about an hour. It has small whitish green flowers, produced from spring to early fall above the large, toothed green leaves. It may not be an ideal choice for a heavily managed landscape but the dense thickets provide cover for wildlife, and this plant is also a great larval host plant for butterflies. It would work well in a boundary planting, a woodland garden, or planted along a slope or in a riparian area. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant is used by many beneficial insects and so may get some galls on the leaves or flowers though they may look alarming, are harmless.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Prickly; Velvety
Leaf value
Edible
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Medium to dark green, alternate, simple, ovate coarsely toothed 6 inches long and 4 inches wide. Young leaves are covered in stinging hairs older leaves tend to have hairs concentrated on the bottom surface.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Self-fertile, separate male and female flowers are inconspicuous appear in the summer. Male flowers are shorter, less than 1/8" across white to green with 5 petals. Female flowers are loose and lacy with 4 green sepals that resemble curly leaves in longer clusters and clustered at the top of the plant.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black
Fruit detail
Black, dry shiny seed.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stinging hairs are white on medium green stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central & East Canada to Mexico
Wildlife value
This plant provides cover for wildlife is a larval host plant for butterflies. The Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) appear as overwintered adults from spring until the end of April and they lay eggs. The summer form emerges from May-September and lays the winter form. These adults appear in September and find a location to overwinter for the next year. Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) have two broods from March-October, they overwinter from October-March in southern Texas.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Host plant for
butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Shoots
Edibility
Only collect young shoots in the spring. Wear gloves and soak young shoots and leaves in clean water to remove dirt. To remove the stinging hairs blanch, steam, boil in salted water, or chop up and saute. Serve in soups or as a green vegetable. Crowhurst, A. 1972. The Weed Cookbook. Lancer Books, Inc. New York, 190 pp.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Fibers were extracted and woven into fabric by indigenous people.
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans; Spines/Thorns
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Propagation
Division; Seed
Poison severity
Medium
Poison parts
Bark; Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Roots; Stems
Poison symptoms
SKIN IRRITATION MINOR, OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Contact with the stinging hairs causes intense burning, itching, or stinging lasting usually less than an hour.