Family: Urticaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 984 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Urtica
Vegetable: False
Observations: Temp. Eurasia, N. & NE. Trop. Africa
Description
Burning nettle, scientifically known as Urtica urens, is a notable member of the Urticaceae family. This annual herbaceous plant, first described by L. in the seminal work “Species Plantarum” on page 984 in 1753, has earned its common name from the stinging sensation it causes upon contact with skin.
Urtica urens is predominantly found across temperate regions of Eurasia and extends into the northern and northeastern tropical areas of Africa. The plant thrives in temperate climates and is frequently encountered in disturbed soils, such as those found in gardens, roadsides, and agricultural lands.
Visually, burning nettle is distinguished by its small stature, seldom exceeding 60 cm in height. It is characterized by its finely toothed, oval to heart-shaped leaves. The plant’s surface is covered in stinging hairs (trichomes) which, when broken, release irritants that can cause a painful rash, a defensive mechanism against herbivores. These tiny hairs inject histamine and other chemicals into the skin, leading to a burning sensation, redness, and swelling.
Despite its somewhat unfriendly interaction with humans, Urtica urens has numerous ecological and medicinal benefits. It plays a vital role in the natural ecosystem as a food source for various insects and as a host for certain butterfly species. Moreover, traditional medicine has recognized the value of burning nettle for its anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, and modern research continues to explore its potential health benefits.
In summary, Urtica urens, or burning nettle, is a plant with a storied history and widespread presence. Its notorious sting may be its most well-known feature, but its ecological importance and potential medicinal uses make it a plant of significance and interest.
Common Names
Eng: annual nettle, burning nettle, dog nettle, dwarf nettle, english stinging nettle, lesser nettle, lesser stinging nettle, small nettle
Deu: kleine brennessel, kleine brennnessel
Dan: liden nælde
Spa: ortiga menor, ortiga
Swe: etternässla, rautanokkonen
Nld: kleine brandnetel
Ces: kopřiva žahavka
Fra: ortie, petite ortie, ortie brûlante, ortie brûlante, petite ortie
Fin: rautanokkonen
Nno: smånesle
Nob: smånesle
Sme: ruovdegáskálas
Cym: danad lleiaf, danadl bach, danadl bach blynyddol, danadlen, danadlen leiaf, danhadlen fach, danhadlen leiaf, dryned, dynhaden, dynhaden lleiaf
En: Burning nettle, Dwarf nettle, Lesser nettle, Lesser stinging nettle, English stinging nettle, Small nettle, Dog nettle, Dwarf stinger, Annual nettle
Ar: زغليل (زَغْليل)، زربيح (زُربيح), شعر العجوز ( شَعر العجوز), صربيح (صُربيح)، فس الكلاب (فِس الكلاب), قريص (قُرّيص)، حراقه (حُرَّاقه)، حريق (حُرَّيق), قراص حارق
Hy: Եղինջ այրող
Eu: Asunbeltz
Bg: Гръцка коприва
Ca: Ortiga petita
Zh: Ou qian ma, 欧荨麻
Kw: Linas
Cs: Kopřiva žahavka
Da: Liden Nælde
Nl: Kleine brandnetel, Broeinetel
Et: Raudnõges
Fi: Rautanokkonen
Fr: Ortie, Petite ortie, Ortie brûlante, Petite ortie, ortie brûlante, Ortie grièche, Ortie brulante
Gl: Estruga menor
De: Keine Brennessel, Kleine Brennessel, Kleine Brennnessel
He: סרפד צורב
Hu: Apró csalán
Is: Smánetla
It: Ortica minore, Ortica annua
Kk: Күйдіргіш қалақай
Lt: Gailioji dilgėlė
Se: Ruovdegáskálas
No: Smånesle
Nb: Smånesle
Nn: Smånesle
Fa: گزنهسگ
Pl: Pokrzywa żegawka
Pt: Urtiga-menor
Pt-br: Urtiga-branca, Urtiga-menor, Urtiga-queimadeira
Qu: Mula kisa
Ru: Крапива жгучая
Sk: Pŕhľava malá
Es: Ortiga, Ortiga menor, Kisa, Yanakisa
Sv: Etternässla, Rautanokkonen
Zh-tw: 歐蕁麻
Zh-hant: 歐蕁麻
Tr: Küçük ısırgan
Uk: Кропива жалка
Cy: Danhadlen fach, Danad Lleiaf, Danadl Bach, Danadl Bach Blynyddol, Danadlen, Danadlen Leiaf, Danhadlen Leiaf, Dryned, Dynhaden, Dynhaden Lleiaf
Synonyms
- Urtica urens var. lanceolata (E.Nilsson)
- Urtica cubensis (Klotzsch ex Herder)
- Urtica parvula (Blume)
- Urtica atlantica (Blume)
- Urtica monoica (Gilib.)
- Urtica quadristipulata (Dulac)
- Urtica trianae (Rusby)
- Urtica minor (Lam.)
Distribution
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Altay (native)
- Austria (native)
- Baleares (native)
- Baltic States (native)
- Belarus (native)
- Belgium (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Buryatiya (native)
- Canary Is. (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- Corse (native)
- Cyprus (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- Denmark (native)
- East Aegean Is. (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- Egypt (native)
- Eritrea (native)
- Ethiopia (native)
- Finland (native)
- France (native)
- Germany (native)
- Greece (native)
- Gulf States (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Iran (native)
- Iraq (native)
- Irkutsk (native)
- Italy (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Kirgizstan (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Kriti (native)
- Krym (native)
- Kuwait (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- Libya (native)
- Madeira (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Morocco (native)
- Netherlands (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- North European Russi (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Norway (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Poland (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Qinghai (native)
- Romania (native)
- Sardegna (native)
- Saudi Arabia (native)
- Sicilia (native)
- Socotra (native)
- Somalia (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Sudan (native)
- Sweden (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Tibet (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Tunisia (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Tuva (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yakutskiya (native)
- Yemen (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Alaska (introduced)
- Alberta (introduced)
- Amur (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Argentina South (introduced)
- Arizona (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- British Columbia (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Cape Provinces (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Chile North (introduced)
- Chile South (introduced)
- Colombia (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Falkland Is. (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- Free State (introduced)
- Galápagos (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Greenland (introduced)
- Guatemala (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Iceland (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Ireland (introduced)
- Juan Fernández Is. (introduced)
- Kenya (introduced)
- Khabarovsk (introduced)
- KwaZulu-Natal (introduced)
- Lesotho (introduced)
- Maine (introduced)
- Manitoba (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Mexico Northwest (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- Namibia (introduced)
- Nevada (introduced)
- New Brunswick (introduced)
- New Hampshire (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New South Wales (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- Newfoundland (introduced)
- Norfolk Is. (introduced)
- Northern Provinces (introduced)
- Nova Scotia (introduced)
- Oklahoma (introduced)
- Ontario (introduced)
- Oregon (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Peru (introduced)
- Primorye (introduced)
- Prince Edward I. (introduced)
- Queensland (introduced)
- Québec (introduced)
- Rhode I. (introduced)
- Sakhalin (introduced)
- Saskatchewan (introduced)
- South Australia (introduced)
- South Carolina (introduced)
- South Georgia (introduced)
- St.Helena (introduced)
- Tanzania (introduced)
- Tasmania (introduced)
- Texas (introduced)
- Uruguay (introduced)
- Vermont (introduced)
- Victoria (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- Western Australia (introduced)
- Yukon (introduced)
Additional Images
© 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.
Leaf
Taken Feb 1, 2020 by Engel Ralf (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 15, 2021 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Candida Bevilacqua (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 7, 2018 by Mehmet Basbag (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 3, 2017 by Maria Rabasa (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Feb 28, 2022 by joseronchel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 13, 2022 by joseronchel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 10, 2021 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Candida Bevilacqua (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 26, 2019 by Ahmed Ghedjatti (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Dec 11, 2021 by cscoq (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 22, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 5, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 3, 2021 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 10, 2021 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Jan 8, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Bertrand BUI (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 24, 2021 by Martín Ernesto (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 18, 2021 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 28, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Vivier Emmanuel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 11, 2021 by cscoq (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Aug 4, 2022 by Rinusz (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 6, 2021 by cscoq (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 8, 2019 by sergio López Jareño (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 15, 2021 by angélique Paillé (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 21, 2021 by García Ana (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Apr 15, 2009 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)
Taken Jan 21, 2021 by vega yadira (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 15, 2021 by Fernández Manuel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 26, 2021 by curzio pietro (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 6, 2021 by cscoq (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/5361815)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:857987-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Urtica urens L.)
Specifications
Growth habit: Forb/herb
Growth
Ph maximum: 7.0
Ph minimum: 6.5
Light: 7
Atmospheric humidity: 5
Bloom months: [‘may’, ‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’, ‘oct’]
Soil nutriments: 8