Stinging Nettle

A herbaceous perennial native to Europe, temperate Asia and western North Africa, now found worldwide. It grows 0.9 to 2 meters tall in summer before dying back in winter, with soft green leaves arranged oppositely along an erect stem and small, numerous greenish or brownish flowers clustered at the leaf axils. It favors soil rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and is often found near human habitation and abandoned building sites. Most of the plant is covered in hollow stinging hairs, called trichomes, that act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation on contact.