Usually available: All year
Life cycle: Herbaceous Perennial
Height: 50cm - 1.2m
Position: Sun / part shade
Soil preference: Well drained
Also referred to as stinging nettle, burn nettle, common nettle or nettle leaf. Nettle is a medium growing herbaceous perennial reaching 1.2 meters high and up to 1 meter wide. The common British Stinging Nettle is known for the tiny stinging hairs which cause irritation to the skin upon contact. The leaves and stems have many tiny hairs called trichomes that inject histamine and other chemicals into the skin when the plant is touched by humans or animals. The leaves are a soft green and held in opposite pairs along the wiry, erect stem. The serrated leaves are long, ranging from 3-15cm and have a broad cordate base ending in a fine point. The flowers are a small greenish-brown colour.
The Nettle family consists of around 500 species with the genus Urtica encompassing the stinging nettles and the genus Parietaria covering the pellitory nettles. Urtica dioica, or Common Nettle, is distributed throughout the temperate regions of Europe and Asia, and is found in Japan, South Africa, Australia and The Andes. Some stinging nettles, particularly one from Java, can produce stings and chemical burns lasting a whole year and others may even cause death. There are several subspecies of Urtica diocia, with most having the stinging hairs.
Many insects find nettle beneficial, including many moths and butterflies that use it as a food plant in the larval stage. The presence of nettle seems to assist other plants in the garden, such as fruiting plants and trees.
Growing Conditions
Nettle is considered a weed by many people because it does grow well in rich soil and can easily colonise fertile areas, like cow paddocks. It has quite a fast growth rate and if nettle takes hold in an area it is generally a good indication of good soil. However, nettle will grow in a sandy, loam or clay soils and tolerate low nutrient levels. A range of pH levels is okay, as long as the soil is not too acidic. Moist soil is preferred and it is not required to be well drained, so a damp spot in clay soil could be suitable. Waste areas, woodland edges, road sides and neglected spaces are often sites that nettle is found. Full sun, dappled shade or semi-shade is acceptable.
Nettle may be propagated by seed in spring or by division during the growing season. The seed is naturally wind propagated. The flowers are dioecious, so to have fertile seed, plants of both genders will be required. The flowers bloom from late spring, over summer and into early autumn. In areas with cold winters the plant will die down and return in spring.
