# False Nettle (*boehmeria cylindrica*) False Nettle is a tall, green plant that likes to grow near rivers and in wet areas. Its leaves are soft and fuzzy, making it a comfy home for little critters! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** False Nettle typically grows in moist soil near rivers, streams, and wetlands. - **Also known as:** Boehmeria, River Nettle, Wetland Nettle ![False Nettle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Boehmeria_cylindrica_SCA-7300.jpg&width=800) Photo: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boehmeria_cylindrica_SCA-7300.jpg) ## Appearance The False Nettle has rough, deep green leaves with toothed edges, resembling stinging nettles but lacking their painful sting. Its slender, often reddish stems bear tiny, greenish-white flowers clustered in spikes, making them quite inconspicuous. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Urticaceae - **Genus:** Boehmeria ## Interesting facts - Ancient cultures used its strong stem fibers for weaving cloth and rope! - Despite its name, you can safely touch this plant; it won't sting you! - Find it lurking in shady, damp spots, especially along forest edges! - Its tiny leaves are surprisingly edible when cooked, like spinach! ## Special abilities - **Harmless Imposter:** False Nettle has soft, harmless hairs on its leaves, making it a convincing lookalike for stinging nettles without the painful sting. - **Shade Seeker:** False Nettle can thrive in shady, damp environments, allowing it to grow where many other plants struggle to find light. - **Fiber Factory:** False Nettle possesses tough stem fibers, historically used by people to weave strong ropes and durable fabrics. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-120 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late summer to early fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Question Mark butterfly (*Polygonia interrogationis*) — Caterpillars feed on its leaves. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on its foliage. - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit its small flowers for nectar. - **Eats:** Red Admiral butterfly (*Vanessa atalanta*) — Caterpillars also consume its leaves. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify False Nettle? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is False Nettle? 30-120 cm ### How wide does False Nettle spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on False Nettle? 0.1-0.3 cm ### When does False Nettle bloom? Late summer to early fall ### Is False Nettle edible? Yes ### Is False Nettle toxic? None ### What is False Nettle's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Audubon Place Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-place-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-tuscaloosa-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Gorgas-Manly Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gorgas-manly-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Campus - [Shark River Slough Archeological District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shark-river-slough-archeological-district) — Florida, US · Historic District - [Tom S. Cooperrider-Kent Bog State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/tom-s-cooperrider-kent-bog-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Jackson–Washington State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jackson-washington-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest [View all places to see False Nettle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/false-nettle) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [False Nettle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/false-nettle)