Common Nettle
Common Nettle
Wildflower
The stinging plant of waste ground and gardens — covered in needle-like hairs, yet the single most important nursery plant for Britain's butterflies.
💡 Fun Facts
- Its leaves and stems are covered in tiny stinging hairs that work like miniature needles.
- It is the number-one plant for hungry caterpillars — peacock, small tortoiseshell, red admiral and comma butterflies all grow up on nettles.
- People have eaten it in soup and tea for hundreds of years — cooking it makes the sting disappear.
📅 Through the Year
- Leaf-out:March to April
- Flowering:June to September
- Dormant:November to February
Name Story
Urtica dioica
means “The burner that keeps two houses”
What does its name mean?
- Urtica — the burner (from a word meaning 'to burn')Latin
- dioica — two houses — boy and girl flowers on separate plantsGreek
Brush a nettle and you'll learn why it's called 'the burner' — it stings like fire! It also keeps its boy flowers and girl flowers on separate plants, like two different houses.