Minnesota Wildflowers


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Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle)

Plant Info
Also known as:
Genus:Urtica
Family:Urticaceae (Nettle)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:shade, sun; moist fields, woods, along shores
Bloom season:June - August
Plant height:1 to 6 feet
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:

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Detailed Information

Flower: indistinct spike

[photo of Stinging Nettle] long strands of green, petal-less flowers attached at the leaf axils

Leaves: opposite simple

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Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Rebecca in Saint Cloud
on: 2011-07-27 16:27:41

little patch in our back yard is spreading a bit and new patches are cropping up in various spots in our yard.

Posted by: John in South Lake Minnetonka, Hennepin County
on: 2011-08-14 11:44:38

We live in a mature Maple/Basswood forest on the south shore of Lake Minnetonka. The weed is widely distributed in our neighborhood, making up a large portion of the understory. Vigorous grower, and painful stings! The kids know it as itch weed, it raises small bmps that itch terribly.

Posted by: Stephanie in Oakdale - Washington Co
on: 2011-09-06 16:01:07

I have this all over my yard in various places. It seems to love to grow up under the Hosta. Swamp land in the front yard. Oddly, it doesn't bother me as far as a reaction, which I guess is good being I pull so much of it through out the year.

Posted by: Pat in Pillager
on: 2011-12-04 21:25:30

I have this growing all over. Is there anything good about Stinging Nettle? Or maybe it protects other plants from grazing herbivores?

Posted by: K. Chayka
on: 2011-12-05 10:57:44

While there may be some human uses for stinging nettle and it's a major butterfly host plant in its native Europe, it has little wildlife value here. It's a weed.

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