Where do nettles grow in the US?
Stinging nettle can be found throughout North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa. Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) Less well known is wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) which is native to the eastern half of North America.
Is stinging nettle native to New England?
Stinging nettle occurs in New England as two subspecies, one (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) is native, while the other (U. dioica ssp. dioica) is introduced. The native species can be recognized in that male and female flowers appear on a single plant ( monoecious ), and the plant has only sparse stinging hairs, especially on the stem.
Is nettle edible?
Probably the most commonly known and recognized member of the Nettle Family ( Urticaceae) is stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ). Many folks know of its medicinal and edible qualities and enjoy foraging for it. Stinging nettle can be found throughout North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa.
How many types of nettle are there?
However, at least six clear subspecies of U. dioica are described, some formerly classified as separate species: U. dioica subsp. dioica (European stinging nettle), from Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, has stinging hairs. U. dioica subsp. galeopsifolia (fen nettle or stingless nettle), from Europe, does not have stinging hairs.
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Are Stinging nettles native to the US?
Stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a flowering plant that is found worldwide. It is native to northern Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe. Here in the United States, it is found in every state except Hawaii, though it grows most abundantly in areas with high annual rainfall.
Where are nettles native?
Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand and North America.
Does the USA have nettles?
Now stinging nettles can be found in many areas of the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The stinging nettle flourishes in temperate climates where it can receive plentiful sunlight. The plants are commonly found along rivers, lakes and streams.
Are Nettles invasive?
Because of its ability to spread vigorously from underground stolons, stinging nettle is considered an invasive species in much of North America—gardeners are more likely to fight it as a weed than to plant it intentionally.
What's the difference between nettles and stinging nettles?
Stinging nettle is the name given to common nettle, garden nettle, and hybrids of these plants. Originally from the colder regions of northern Europe and Asia, this herbaceous shrub grows all over the world today.
What happens if you touch stinging nettle?
Nettles are plants with sharp hairs on their leaves. If you touch them, these hairs inject irritants into the skin, making it itchy, red and swollen.
Are wild nettles edible?
Both Wood Nettle and Stinging Nettle are edible, nutritious plants you can find in backyards and woodlands.
Did the Romans bring stinging nettles to Britain?
Before long they'd built so much that Britain didn't look too different from Rome itself – apart from the weather of course. The Romans even brought animals, like rabbits to Britain. And stinging nettles too!
Is stinging nettle poisonous?
The Stinging Nettle Plant It's not a terribly imposing-looking plant. The stinging nettle is edible, yet quite poisonous.
Do deer eat nettles?
Not many mammals feed on wood nettle, but despite the stinging hairs white-tailed deer will occasionally feed on the leaves.
Are nettles good for the garden?
In the garden, nettle is indispensable as a fertilizer, insecticide, and compost activator. On the farm, nettle's uses don't just end there. The farm animals also benefit from all the goodness of nettle as well.
What are the benefits of nettle?
6 Evidence-Based Benefits of Stinging NettleContains Many Nutrients. Stinging nettle's leaves and root provide a wide variety of nutrients, including (1): ... May Reduce Inflammation. ... May Treat Enlarged Prostate Symptoms. ... May Treat Hay Fever. ... May Lower Blood Pressure. ... May Aid Blood Sugar Control.
Do nettles grow in the US?
Stinging nettles grow wild throughout the United States, and are very common in Massachusetts. You can find them in disturbed areas, floodplains, pastures, roadsides, fields, woodlands, and stream banks. They like damp, rich soil and sunshine or partial shade.
Where do nettles come from?
stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica), also called common nettle, weedy perennial plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae), known for its stinging leaves. Stinging nettle is distributed nearly worldwide but is especially common in Europe, North America, North Africa, and parts of Asia.
Are nettles native to UK?
We have two native species of nettle in the British Isles, the common nettle Urtica dioica L. (Figure 1) which has two (some authorities list more) subspecies: ssp. dioica the widespread and often very abundant stinging nettle with which we are all familiar and ssp.
Is stinging nettle native to Canada?
Stinging nettle is a perennial plant originally from Europe. It is now found throughout the United States and some parts of Canada.
Where is wood nettle native to?
Less well known is wood nettle ( Laportea canadensis) which is native to the eastern half of North America. It, too, is prized by foragers as food and medicine. Clearweed (Pilea pumila) The third plant to review in the nettle family is clearweed ( Pilea pumila) — also found in eastern North America.
What is the most common nettle?
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) Probably the most commonly known and recognized member of the Nettle Family ( Urticaceae) is stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ). Many folks know of its medicinal and edible qualities and enjoy foraging for it.
How to tell stinging nettle from wood nettle?
Since both stinging nettle and wood nettle look so much alike — and both protect themselves with stinging hairs — how can we tell these two plants apart? The most obvious difference is the orientation of the leaves along the stems. Stinging nettle’s leaves are opposite each other.
What family is Clearweed in?
All three plants are in the Nettle Family. And each has been assigned to a different genus ( Urtica, Laportea and Pilea ). When we look at the leaves we can see how very similar they are in shape. Clearweed’s leaves are smooth and somewhat glossy while both stinging nettle and wood nettle have “rougher” looking leaves. Clearweed.
Where does stinging nettle grow?
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.
Where are tiny green flowers borne?
Tiny green or white flowers are borne in dense whorled clusters in the leaf axils and stem tips. Flowers are wind pollinated.
Where does the stinging nettle live?
Stinging nettle occurs in New England as two subspecies, one (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) is native, while the other (U. dioica ssp. dioica) is introduced. The native species can be recognized in that male and female flowers appear on a single plant ( monoecious ), and the plant has only sparse stinging hairs, especially on the stem.
What does "non native" mean?
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized. County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years). State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within ...
How long are Urtica urens?
Urtica urens: stipules 1–3 mm long, spreading to deflexed, staminate and carpellate flowers usually in the same inflorescence, and plants annual from a taproot (vs. U. dioica, with stipules 5–15 mm long, erect, staminate and carpellate flowers usually in separate inflorescences, and plants perennial from rhizomes ).
Where are stinging nettles native to?
This species, along with its subspecies, is distributed all over the world, from Africa to Europe and in North and South America. Stinging nettle is native to western North America, Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and introduced elsewhere.
Why are nettles called nettles?
Hundreds of species of plants that are commonly called "nettles" exist in the world, many which are named because of the similarity to a common weed known as Stinging Nettle or Common Nettle ( Urtica dioica) by leaf shape, growth habit, or stinging ability thanks to the tiny needle-like hairs that exude a skin-irritant when touched.
What is the difference between a false nettle and a stinging nettle?
Distinguish from False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica). False nettle has finer toothed margins of the leaves, and the leaves themselves tend to be a little more bigger at the base. The stems of each flower cluster are erect and angle upward from the stem, unlike stinging nettle (which are droopy). There are no stinging hairs on any part of this plant. This is despite the fine hairs found on the leaves and stems.
What is the name of the stinging nettle?
Do an image and information search on the Internet for "Stinging Nettle" or Urtica dioica. The latter name will give you the best results of what stinging (or common) nettle looks like in order to better help you identify the species out in the field. Also, some extra information to know may be useful:
How many species of nettles are there in the urtica family?
There are actually 35 to 40 different species in the Urtica genus in Family Urticaceae. All true nettles are a part of the Nettle Family Urticaceae. There are many other species of plants with the common name "nettle" attached to it, but may not be part of the aforementioned taxonomical family.
What is Marsh Hedge Nettle?
Distinguish from Marsh Hedge Nettle (Stachys palustris). This plant (a native to North America), a part of the mint family ( Lamiaceae) can be fairly easily confused with stinging nettle when in the pre-blooming stage. Like stinging nettle, there are opposite leaves and pubescent or hairy leaves and stems.
How tall is Deadnettle?
6. Distinguish from White Deadnettle (Lamium album). A member of the Mint family ( Lamiaceae) this perennial is native to Europe and introduced to North America. It is typically shorter than stinging nettle, growing only from around 1.5 feet (0.46 m) to 3.2 feet (0.98 m) tall.
Where is the stinging nettle native to?
Its species name, canadensis is a term used in taxonomy to describe species that are indigenous to North America, whereas stinging nettle is native to Europe. Wood nettle has fewer stinging hairs, but don’t get too cozy with it as Jamie’s gentle brushing action still ended her up with a few painful stings.
Where does wood nettle come from?
It clearly holds the same energetic properties: cooling, slightly bitter, salty and astringent. Wood nettle is native to the eastern half of North America and is prized by foragers as food and medicine.
How to make nettle infusion?
Nettles Infusion: To make a nettles infusion: Place 1 ounce of dried herb in a quart jar cover with boiling water, cover and let stand 4 hours or overnight. Strain and drink one quart daily. References:
What is the bark of nettle used for?
The Meskwaki, a Native American people originally from the Great Lakes region, used the inner bark of the wood nettle to make a nettle thread that was used in the making of cattail mats. A fiber obtained from the stem is used for making nets and cordage and is considered 50 times stronger than cotton.
What is nettle root?
Nettle root extracts have been extensively studied in human clinical trials as a treatment for the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). As a food, wood nettle has a flavor similar to spinach when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. It is a tonic that builds the blood.
What is the color of wood nettle?
Her color is an iridescent, deep forest green, singing with aliveness. The word psychedelic comes to mind. My apprentice, Jamie, is too young to truly appreciate the reference to an era that exploded into our consciousness more than four decades ago. She wasn’t even born yet. But this is the beauty of our journey together with the wood nettle, a journey that starts with a hike into the forest to teach and learn about plants that can heal us. It is a timeless journey: An older woman with long white hair makes an offering to the earth and a prayer of gratitude to the spirit of the plant she is gathering. The younger woman, strong and lithe, bends to cut and gather the herb with her long blonde curls falling around face and shoulders.
Is stinging nettle the same as wood nettle?
Both plants, however, are in the same nettle family, ...
Overview
Distribution and habitat
U. dioica is considered to be native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa. It is abundant in northern Europe and much of Asia, usually found in the countryside. It is less widespread in southern Europe and north Africa, where it is restricted by its need for moist soil, but is still common. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world. In North America, it is widel…
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of Urtica species has been confused, and older sources are likely to use a variety of systematic names for these plants. Formerly, more species were recognised than are now accepted. However, at least six clear subspecies of U. dioica are described, some formerly classified as separate species:
• U. dioica subsp. dioica (European stinging nettle), from Europe, Asia, and nort…
Ecology
Nettles are the larval food plant for several species of butterflies, such as the peacock butterfly, comma (Polygonia c-album), and the small tortoiseshell. It is also eaten by the larvae of some moths including angle shades, buff ermine, dot moth, the flame, the gothic, grey chi, grey pug, lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing, mouse moth, setaceous Hebrew character, and small angle shades. …
Cultivation
Three cultivation techniques can be used for the stinging nettle: 1) direct sowing, 2) growing seedlings in nurseries with subsequent transplantation and 3) vegetative propagation via stolons or head cuttings.
1. Direct sowing: The seedbed should have a loose and fine structure, but should be reconsolidated using a packer roller imminently prior to sowing. Sowing time can be either in autumn or in sprin…
Sting and treatment
Urtica dioica produces its inflammatory effect on skin (stinging, burning sensation often called "contact urticaria") both by impaling the skin via spicules – causing mechanical irritation – and by biochemical irritants, such as histamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, among other chemicals. Anti-itch drugs, usually in the form of creams containing antihistamines or hydrocortisone, may provide reli…
Uses
U. dioica has a flavour similar to spinach when cooked. Young plants were harvested by Native Americans and used as a cooked plant in spring when other food plants were scarce. Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without injury. After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-sett…
Culture
In Great Britain and Ireland, U. dioica and the annual nettle Urtica urens are the only common stinging plants and have found a place in several figures of speech in the English language. Shakespeare's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" (Henry IV, Part 1, Act II Scene 3). The figure of speech "to grasp the nettle" probably originated from Aesop's fable "The Boy and the Nettle". In Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, one of the characters qu…