Family: Urticaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 984 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Urtica
Vegetable: False
Observations: Europe to Siberia and W. China, NW. Africa
Description
The Common nettle, scientifically known as Urtica dioica, is a perennial herbaceous plant that has been recognized and documented since 1753. It belongs to the Urticaceae family and has a wide geographical range, stretching from Europe to Siberia and Western China, as well as Northwestern Africa.
Characteristically, the Common nettle is well-known not just for its widespread presence, but also for its stinging hairs which can cause discomfort when touched. These hairs contain histamine and other chemicals that are released upon contact, leading to the familiar sting and rash associated with nettles. However, this plant offers much more than meets the eye.
Urtica dioica thrives in a variety of environments but is typically found in nutrient-rich soils. It can grow up to 1-2 meters tall, with leaves that are serrated and heart-shaped, positioned oppositely along the stem. The plant produces greenish-white flowers from late spring to early autumn, which are wind-pollinated.
Historically, the Common nettle has been highly valued in traditional medicine and culinary practices. The plant has been used to treat a range of ailments, from joint pain and arthritis to seasonal allergies and skin conditions. Its leaves, when cooked, can be consumed as a nutritious vegetable rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, and calcium. Nettle tea, made from the steeped leaves, is a popular herbal remedy.
Additionally, the fibrous stems of Urtica dioica have been employed in making textiles. Nettle fiber is strong and durable, leading to its use in fabric production during times when other textile materials were scarce.
Ecologically, the Common nettle plays a significant role in its habitat. It serves as a food source for various species of butterflies and moths, as well as other insects. The presence of nettles can indicate healthy, fertile soil, and they are often found in areas of human disturbance, such as near buildings or in gardens.
In summary, Urtica dioica, or Common nettle, is a plant of substantial ecological, medicinal, and historical importance. Its broad distribution from Europe to Siberia and Western China, and northwest Africa underscores its adaptability and significance. Although it may be known primarily for its stinging defense mechanism, the Common nettle is a versatile and beneficial plant within the natural world.
Common Names
Eng: california nettle, common nettle, european nettle, giant nettle, nettle, slender nettle, stinging nettle, tall nettle, big-sting nettle, common stinging nettle, wild nettle
Deu: grosse brennessel, große brennessel, große brennnessel
Dan: stor nælde
Swe: brännässla
Spa: chichicaste, ortiga
Fra: grande ortie, grande ortie, ortie dioïque, ortie
Nld: grote brandnetel
Por: ortiga, urtiga
Sme: gáskálas, biikarássi, čuoggugáskálas, čuoggurássi
Cym: dail poethion, danadl cyffredin, danadl poethion, danadl ysgar, danadlen, danadlen fwyaf, danadlen ysgar, danhadlen, danhadlen boeth, dryned, dynaid, dynat, dyned, dynent, dynhaden, dynhaden fwyaf, dynhaden ysgar
Gla: deanntag, deanntagan, feanntag, feanntagan
En: Common nettle, Stinging nettle, Giant nettle, Nettle, European nettle, Lateng, California nettle, Slender nettle, Tall nettle, Big-sting nettle, Common stinging nettle, Wild nettle, Great Nettle, Greater Nettle, European Stinging Nettle, True Nettle
Af: Brandnetel
Sq: Hithri
Ar: قراص كبير
Hy: Եղինջ երկտուն
Az: İkievli gicitkan
Ba: Кесерткән
Eu: Asun handi
Be: Крапіва двухдомная
Bn: বিছুটি
Bs: Kopriva
Br: Linad
Bg: Обикновена коприва
Ca: Ortiga gran, Ortiga grossa, Ortiga major
Zh: Yi zhu qian ma, 异株荨麻
Hr: Kopriva
Cs: Kopřiva dvoudomá
Da: Stor Nælde
Nl: Grote Brandnetel
Eo: Urtiko
Et: Kõrvenõges
Fo: Tvíbýlisnota
Fi: Nokkonen, Isonokkonen
Fr: Grande ortie, Ortie, Ortie dioïque, Grande ortie, ortie dioïque
Gl: Estruga maior
De: Große Brennessel, Grosse Brennessel, Große Brennnessel, Donnernessel
El: Κνίδη
He: סרפד מצוי
Hi: कंडाली
Hu: Nagy csalán
Is: Brenninetla
It: Ortica, Ortica comune
Kk: Қосүйлі қалақай
Rw: Igisura
Ko: 쐐기풀
Lv: Lielā nātre
Lt: Didžioji dilgėlė
Mk: Коприва
Ml: ഉർട്ടിക്ക ഡയോക
Ne: सिस्नो
Se: Gáskálas, Biikarássi, Čuoggugáskálas, Čuoggurássi
No: Stornesle
Os: Пысыра
Pa: ਬਿੱਛੂ ਬੂਟੀ
Ps: نېښ لرونکي بوټي
Fa: گزنه دو پایه
Pl: Pokrzywa zwyczajna
Pt: Urtiga, Ortiga, Urtiga-maior
Pt-br: Urtigão, Urtiga-maior, Urtiga-mansa, Urtiga-vermelha
Ro: Urzică
Ru: Крапива двудомная
Gd: Deanntag, Deanntagan, Feanntag, Feanntagan
Sr: Коприва
Sk: Pŕhľava dvojdomá
Es: Chichicaste, Ortiga, Ortiga mayor, Velika kopriva
Sv: Brännässla
Zh-tw: 異株蕁麻
Tg: Газна
Tt: Кычыткан
Zh-hant: 異株蕁麻
Tr: Büyük ısırgan
Uk: Кропива дводомна
Ur: Bichu Booti
Vi: Tầm ma gốc lạ
Wa: Ourteye
Cy: Danadl Poethion, Danhadlen boeth, Dail Poethion, Danadl Cyffredin, Danadl Ysgar, Danadlen, Danadlen Fwyaf, Danadlen Ysgar, Danhadlen, Dryned, Dynaid, Dynat, Dyned, Dynent, Dynhaden, Dynhaden Fwyaf, Dynhaden Ysgar
Synonyms
- Urtica dioica var. vulgaris (Wedd.)
- Urtica dioica var. ramosa (Neuman)
- Urtica dioica subsp. eudioica (Selander)
Distribution
- Afghanistan (native)
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Altay (native)
- Amur (native)
- Assam (native)
- Austria (native)
- Baltic States (native)
- Belarus (native)
- Belgium (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Buryatiya (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- Chita (native)
- Corse (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- Denmark (native)
- East Aegean Is. (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- East Himalaya (native)
- Finland (native)
- France (native)
- Føroyar (native)
- Germany (native)
- Great Britain (native)
- Greece (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Iceland (native)
- India (native)
- Inner Mongolia (native)
- Iran (native)
- Iraq (native)
- Ireland (native)
- Irkutsk (native)
- Italy (native)
- Japan (native)
- Kamchatka (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Khabarovsk (native)
- Kirgizstan (native)
- Korea (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Kriti (native)
- Krym (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- Magadan (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Mongolia (native)
- Morocco (native)
- Nepal (native)
- Netherlands (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- North European Russi (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Norway (native)
- Pakistan (native)
- Poland (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Primorye (native)
- Qinghai (native)
- Romania (native)
- Sakhalin (native)
- Sardegna (native)
- Sicilia (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Sweden (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Tadzhikistan (native)
- Tibet (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Tunisia (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Turkmenistan (native)
- Tuva (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- Uzbekistan (native)
- West Himalaya (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yakutskiya (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Alaska (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Brazil Northeast (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- British Columbia (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Cape Provinces (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Chile South (introduced)
- Colombia (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- District of Columbia (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- Eritrea (introduced)
- Falkland Is. (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- Georgia (introduced)
- Greenland (introduced)
- Guatemala (introduced)
- Libya (introduced)
- Maine (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- New Brunswick (introduced)
- New Hampshire (introduced)
- New Jersey (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- Newfoundland (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- Nova Scotia (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Oklahoma (introduced)
- Ontario (introduced)
- Oregon (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Prince Edward I. (introduced)
- Québec (introduced)
- Svalbard (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Tristan da Cunha (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- West Virginia (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken Dec 17, 2021 by Michel AMBROISE (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 22, 2019 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 22, 2019 by Manu Pacha (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 1, 2020 by Rose Morgan (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 1, 2020 by Rose Morgan (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Jan 4, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 29, 2022 by Nathalie Potel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 29, 2019 by Roberto Masselli (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 12, 2018 by Barto Barbara (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 16, 2017 by Romuald Beranger (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Sep 23, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 19, 2020 by Bénédicte OUDART (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 4, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 29, 2022 by Nathalie Potel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jul 29, 2021 by Pierre LEON (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 29, 2022 by Nathalie Potel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 1, 2020 by Rose Morgan (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken May 6, 2022 by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 31, 2021 by Teocolo Dronogo (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 20, 2020 by Giode Tonpino (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 15, 2022 by Jacques Zuber (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 21, 2021 by Jeff B (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Jul 20, 2020 by Jorge (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 15, 2016 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 10, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 10, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 19, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:260630-2)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/7960979)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Urtica dioica L.)
Specifications
Growth habit: Forb/herb
Growth
Ph maximum: 7.0
Ph minimum: 6.5
Light: 5
Atmospheric humidity: 5
Bloom months: [‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’, ‘oct’]
Soil nutriments: 9