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Herbaceous Perennial

Urtica dioica

common stinging nettle

A herbaceous perennial with spreading roots and creeping horizontal stems able to form large, patches of upright stems, to 1.5m tall, with dark green foliage. Leaves and stems are covered in stinging and non-stinging hairs. Cream or brownish-green, catkin-like flowers are produced from the leaf axils from late spring to early autumn

Other common names

great nettle
stinger
see morestinging nettle

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Urticaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Matforming
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets (dogs): Harmful if eaten and via skin, skin/eye irritant - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: A genus of annual or perennial flowering plants with arrow-shaped, serrated green foliage and small clusters of greenish-brown flowers. Many species have stinging hairs on the leaves. The foliage can be used for making tea and for medicinal purposes, and the plants provide valuable food and shelter for wildlife
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Cosmopolitan

How to grow

Cultivation

May be planted for wildlife value and thrives in nitrogen-rich, moist but well-drained soil in a sunny position, but will grow almost anywhere. Self-seeds freely and can be difficult to control or eradicate, but an important source of food for caterpillars and butterflies. See controlling nettles for further advice

Propagation

Spreads naturally by spreading roots and horizontal stems, and by seed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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