Stinging Nettle: how much can a plant possibly hurt?

How much can a plant possibly hurt? Apparently quite a bit. Today’s plant has a Latin name, Urtica, which means intense, painful hives. Stinging Nettles are popular with plant foragers for their edible qualities and medicinal uses. European Nettle is an erect perennial which spreads by rhizomes. Urtica dioica has heart shaped leaves and is densely covered by stinging hair that cause a painful, burning sensation that can last for hours. The hairs are hollow and filled with plant acids. Upon contact with skin the needles release their acid toxin.
In the United States we have a widespread, native nettle, Urtica gracilis, that has many of the same characteristics as the European native, but it has fewer stinging hairs and narrower, rounded leaves. Next time you are hiking along the river and your dog pushes you off trail into the weeds, that sting might not be a bee!

Joyce Browning Horticulturist, Master Gardener Coordinator
Video credit: Bethany Evans Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Program Alumni; CPH

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