# wood nettle (*Laportea canadensis*) Wood nettle is a green plant that grows in shady places like forests. It has soft, fuzzy leaves and can be a bit prickly if you touch it. It's a great plant to learn about nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests ![wood nettle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gardenology.org-IMG_1442_bbg09.jpg&width=800) Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gardenology.org-IMG_1442_bbg09.jpg) ## Appearance The wood nettle is a tall, slender plant with vibrant green, oval leaves covered in tiny, clear stinging hairs. Its inconspicuous, greenish-white flowers grow in small clusters where the leaves meet the stem. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Urticaceae - **Genus:** Laportea ## Interesting facts - Even though it stings, many caterpillars munch on its leaves without getting hurt! - Its sting comes from formic acid, the same chemical found in ant bites! - Surprisingly, cooking its young leaves makes them taste like spinach, with no sting! - The plant's tough stems were once used by Native Americans to weave strong ropes! ## Special abilities - **Sting Defense:** Wood nettle has needle-like stinging hairs that inject irritants, helping it defend against hungry animals. - **Rapid Colonizer:** Wood nettle can spread quickly using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it claim sunny forest floor spots. - **Nutrient Collector:** Wood nettle has deep roots that help it gather nutrients from rich forest soils, fueling its rapid growth. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-150 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on its leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** Question Mark Butterfly (*Polygonia interrogationis*) — Its caterpillars feed on wood nettle leaves. - **Eaten by:** Red Admiral Butterfly (*Vanessa atalanta*) — Larvae sometimes use it as a host plant. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Be careful not to touch the leaves directly, as they can cause a little itch. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify wood 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 wood nettle? 30-150 cm ### When does wood nettle bloom? Summer ### Is wood nettle edible? Yes ### Is wood nettle toxic? Mild ### What is wood nettle's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is wood nettle pollinated? Wind ### Where is wood nettle usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackhand-gorge-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [South Newbury Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-newbury-village-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Bayley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bayley-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Crystal Cave](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crystal-cave) — Pennsylvania, US · Natural Landmark - [Monument Circle Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/monument-circle-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Pleasant Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pleasant-hill) — Kentucky, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see wood nettle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wood-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: [Wood Nettle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wood-nettle)