Stinging nettle

Urtica dioica

At a glance
Type	Broadleaf
Life cycle	Perennial
Family	Nettle family (Urticaceae)
Origin	Native and introduced forms
Most common in	Midwest, Pacific Northwest

About

Stinging nettle is a tall perennial covered in stinging hairs that forms dense patches from creeping roots. A brush against it gives a burning, itching sting, so it's worth recognizing before you weed a shady, damp corner.

Also called common nettle, nettle

How to identify it

Look for

Stems are square, 2 to 9 feet tall, and bristle with stinging hairs, as do the leaves. Leaves are opposite, egg-shaped with a heart-shaped base, a pointed tip and coarse saw-tooth edges, 1 to 6 inches long. Tiny greenish or whitish flowers hang in clusters where the leaves join the stem.

Where it grows

Moist, rich soil along streams, ditches, meadows, woodland clearings, shady yard edges and disturbed ground.

When

Shoots come up in spring and plants flower in spring and summer.

How it spreads

By creeping rhizomes that form dense colonies, and by seed.

Most common in

Northeast	Common here
Southeast	Occasional here
South Central	Occasional here
Midwest	Very common here
Great Plains	Common here
Mountain West	Common here
Southwest	Occasional here
Pacific Northwest	Very common here
California	Common here
Alaska	Common here
Hawaii	Not found here

What to do, gentlest first

Protect yourself first. Weed killers are a last step; always read and follow the label.

Mow and keep turf thick Prevent
Healthy lawn mowed at the right height keeps it out, and mowing patches before they seed stops new plants.
Dig out patches with gloves By hand
Dig out young plants and the creeping roots while the patch is small, and keep cutting regrowth.
Wear thick gloves and long sleeves.
Spot spray Conventional spray
In beds, spot-treat with glyphosate; in lawns, a 2,4-D plus MCPP plus dicamba product can be used.
Read and follow the label; many lawn and brush herbicides also kill garden plants. Use glyphosate as a spot treatment only.

Uses, wildlife and pets

Edible?

Young shoots are eaten as a cooked green: boiling them for about 5 minutes removes the sting. Pick with gloves, be sure of the ID, and never from sprayed areas.

Not 100% sure? Don't eat it. Never pick from ground that may have been sprayed, or along roads and railways.

For wildlife

It is a caterpillar host plant for red admiral, painted lady, eastern comma and question mark butterflies.

Pets

Not listed by the ASPCA.

Sources

Photo: Photo: Matildalove12 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (CC0). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.