Annual Nettle

Description

Urtica urens, commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia and it can be found in North America and New Zealand as an introduced species. It is reputed to sting more strongly than the Common Nettle/Stinging Nettle. In Europe, Urtica urens is one of the food plants of the small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae). In New Zealand it is also a food plant for the New Zealand red admiral butterfly (Bassaris gonerilla, syn. Vanessa gonerilla, syn. Papilio gonerilla), and the Australian/New Zealand yellow admiral butterfly (Vanessa itea).