# Nettles (*urtica*)

Nettles are green plants with tiny, stinging hairs that can give a little prick when touched! They attract butterflies and other insects, making them fun to spot in gardens and woods.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Nettles commonly grow in gardens, along roadsides, and in disturbed areas.
- **Also known as:** Common Nettle, Nettle Leaf, Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica

![Nettles](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Urtica_dioica_%28Bl%C3%BCten%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Migas assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Urtica_dioica_%28Bl%C3%BCten%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Nettles has distinctive green, heart-shaped or oval leaves with serrated edges, growing on square stems. It is covered in fine, hair-like stinging bristles that are its most unique visual feature.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Cnidaria
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Rosales
- **Family:** Urticaceae
- **Genus:** Urtica

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Roman soldiers rubbed nettles on themselves to stay warm in cold weather!
- Before cotton, people used strong nettle fibers to weave durable clothes and ropes!
- Several butterfly caterpillars can only eat nettles, making them vital nurseries!
- You can eat nettles like spinach, but only after cooking them to remove the sting!

## Special abilities

- **Stinging Shield:** Nettles has needle-like hairs that inject irritants, helping it defend against hungry animals.
- **Fast Spreader:** Nettles can quickly spread underground using rhizomes, letting it colonize new areas rapidly.
- **Soil Seeker:** Nettles can thrive in very rich soils, absorbing many nutrients to help them grow big and strong.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 50-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Small Tortoiseshell](https://www.snappit.app/explore/small-tortoiseshell) (*Aglais urticae*) — Its caterpillars feed exclusively on nettle leaves.
- **Eaten by:** [Red Admiral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-admiral) (*Vanessa atalanta*) — The caterpillars rely on nettles as their primary food.
- **Eaten by:** [Comma butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/comma-butterfly) (*Polygonia c-album*) — Their larvae use nettle leaves as a vital food source.

## Traits

- [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.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Be careful when touching nettles as they can sting!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Nettles?

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 Nettles?

50-150 cm

### How wide does Nettles spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Nettles?

0.1-0.2 cm

### When does Nettles bloom?

Summer

### Is Nettles edible?

Yes

### Is Nettles toxic?

Mild

### What is Nettles's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Oregon Coast Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oregon-coast-aquarium) — Oregon, US · Aquarium
- [The Living Planet Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-living-planet-aquarium) — Utah, US · Zoo
- [London Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/london-aquarium) — England, GB · Aquarium
- [Albuquerque Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albuquerque-aquarium-new-mexico) — New Mexico, US · Aquarium
- [Spring Mill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/spring-mill-park) — Pennsylvania, US · Park
- [Pinecone Burke Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pinecone-burke-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

[View all places to see Nettles](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/nettles)

## 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*)

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Source: [Nettles: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/nettles)