Native Plants

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Reveal, James L.

Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis

Urtica dioica L. ssp. gracilis (Aiton) Seland.

California Nettle, Stinging Nettle

Urticaceae (Nettle Family)

Synonym(s): Urtica californica, Urtica cardiophylla, Urtica dioica var. angustifolia, Urtica dioica var. californica, Urtica dioica var. gracilis, Urtica dioica var. lyallii, Urtica dioica var. procera, Urtica gracilis, Urtica lyallii, Urtica lyallii var. californica, Urtica major, Urtica procera, Urtica serra, Urtica strigosissima, Urtica viridis

USDA Symbol: urdig

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)

Highly irritating to the skin, this Nettle should not be handled. The family and genus names come from the Latin uro ("I burn").

From the Image Gallery

13 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 10 feet tall, often shorter.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AK , AL , AZ , CA , CO , CT , DC , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: AB , BC , MB , NB , NL , NS , NT , ON , PE , QC , SK , YT

Benefit

Use Food: EDIBLE PARTS: Young shoots. Only collect young shoots from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Collect the young shoots in the spring. Wear gloves while collecting shoots. PREPARATION: Soak young shoots in warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. Place young shoots in boiling, salted water (with a pair of kitchen tongs) and boil for five minutes. Serve as a vegetable or add to soups. The stinging quality disappears after cooking. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: Stinging hairs on stems and leaves. Minor skin irritation when handled. Symptoms include intense burning and itching sensation lasting a few minutes. Toxic Principle: Mixture of chemicals, not well understood. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)
Attracts: Butterflies

Bibliography

Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis

Metadata

Record Modified: 0000-00-00
Research By: TWC Staff

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