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Stinging nettle

Stinging nettle ©Harry Green

Stinging nettle

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Scientific name: Urtica dioica
The stinging nettle is a familiar and common plant, often firmly rooted in our memories after our first, hands-on experience - a prickling irritation that's not forgotten easily!

Top facts

Stats

Height: up to 1m

Conservation status

Common.

When to see

January to December

About

A very common plant, the stinging nettle can be found growing in gardens, hedgerows, fields, woodlands and many other habitats. Its preference for damp, fertile and disturbed ground makes it a good coloniser of places enriched by human activities, such as agriculture and development. Stinging nettles are great wildlife attractors: caterpillars of the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies use them as foodplants; ladybirds feast on the aphids that shelter among them; and seed-eating birds enjoy their autumn spoils.

What to look for

To avoid the more painful way of identifying a stinging nettle, look for the hairs on its stem, its drooping, catkin flowers, and oval, toothed leaves.

Where to find

Widespread.

Habitats

Did you know?

The stinging nettle has been used for food, herbal remedies, dyes and fibres for hundreds of years. During the Second World War, children were encouraged to collect them so that they could be used to produce a dark green dye for camouflage.