Stinging Nettle is a perennial herb growing nearly worldwide. There are 5 subspecies of which 4 have stinging hairs. It occurs in moist sites along streams, meadow, and ditches, on mountain slopes, in woodland clearings, and in disturbed areas. Stinging nettle generally grows on deep, rich, moist soil and doesn't do well in areas of drought. Stinging Nettle reproduces by rhizomes and seeds and can form dense colonies covering and an acre or more. It is considered a noxious weed in some areas.
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) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 9 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
1”-6” simple opposite saw-tooth margin egg-shaped green leaves with a heart-shaped base and a pointed tip with hairs and stinging hairs.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower form
Insignificant; Spike
Flower detail
Tiny green or white flowers are borne in dense whorled clusters in the leaf axils and stem tips. Flowers are wind pollinated.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Produces small oval achenes with copious amounts of seeds.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Wiry green stems fairly square and may bear stinging hairs, grow up to 9’ tall.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Europe, Asia, Africa, western North America
Distribution
AK, AL, AZ, CA , CO, CT, DC, DE, Fl, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA , MA , MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS , MT, NC , ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR , PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI , WV, WY Canada: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT
Wildlife value
This plant supports the following larvae: Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), Question Mark Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis). Questionmark butterflies have an interesting life cycles: overwintered adult Question Mark butterflies lay eggs from spring until the end of May. These will appear as summer adults from May-September, laying eggs that then develop into the winter adult form. The winter adults appear in late August and shelter for the winter starting the cycle all over again. Adult Question Mark butterflies feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, and carrion only visiting flowers for feeding when absolutely necessary. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) rarely use this host plant in North Carolina.
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Nuts; Shoots
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Edibility
Soak young shoots in warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Place young shoots in boiling, salted water (with a pair of kitchen tongs) and boil for five minutes. Serve as a vegetable or add to soups. The stinging quality disappears after cooking.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The rootstock is used as a diuretic and as an herbal treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) and other urinary disorders. Tea made from the leaves has been used to treat hay fever, diabetes, gout, and arthritis, and fresh stinging leaves are sometimes applied to arthritic joints in a process known as urtification, which is said to stimulate blood flow. Topical creams have also been developed for joint pain and various skin ailments, including eczema and dandruff. The foliage can be used to produce a textile dye.