Bill Johnson

European Stinging Nettle

Urtica dioica L.
Nettle Family (Urticaceae)

Origin: Europe

Distribution and Habitat
Also called great nettle, European stinging nettle occurs in Coastal Plain, Piedmont and Mountain provinces in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, from Delaware to Florida. It inhabits damp, rich, disturbed areas, primarily in calcareous soils, in floodplains and moist open forests, and can tolerate dry soils and some shade.

Ecological Threat
This plant can become well established in floodplain areas and push out native plants, impacting spring ephemeral species as well as those that emerge later in spring and through the summer.

Description and Biology

• Plant: erect, rhizomatous, dioecious (male and female flowers occur on separate plants) perennial; unbranched; can grow to 6 ft. in height; covered with minute needle-like stinging hairs that can cause a painful burning sensation lasting many hours.
• Leaves: opposite, 2-6 in. long with leaf bases broadly ovate to cordate (heart-shaped) and leaf margins serrate; stipules (outgrowths on either side of leaf stalk) are 5-15 mm long.
• Flowers, fruits and seeds: flowers are branched, many-flowered, and emerge from below the petioles which they exceed in length; flowers occur May-July; fruits occur July-September.
• Spreads: by seed.
• Look-alikes: may be confused with other members of the nettle family including American stinging nettle (U. gracilis), which is usually monoecious, stouter and more sparsely hairy; wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) which is alternate leaved; false-nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) and clearweed (Pilea) which lack stinging hairs.

Prevention and Control
Due to its popularity in some circles as an edible plant, it may be purchased and cultivated. If grown, ensure that it does not spread beyond the planted site by removing flowers and fruits and killing back if it does begin to beyond the intended area. Manual, mechanical and chemical methods are available and effective (see Control Options).