Urtica dioica, often referred to as nettle, nettle leaf, stinging nettle, or stinger, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the Urticaceae family.
Native to Europe, much of the temperate regions of Asia and Northwest Africa it is now found worldwide, including North America and New Zealand. There are 5 subspecies of nettle[1], 4 of which have pointed hair. It is a dioeciousWhat is dioecious?Pertaining to plants, individuals of which bear either staminate or pistillate flowers, but not both. plant (pistillate and staminate flowers on different plants) with tiny flowers.
The staminate flower is gray-yellow with 4 sepals. Also, the flowers have 4 yellow stamens and anthers. The inflorescence resembles a catkin, 4 to 8 cm ((1.6 to 3.2 inches) long.
This plant has slender, pointed, somewhat cordate serrated leaves that grow 3 to 15 cm high. Slender catkins of small green florets appear from the leaf axils. Nettle usually grows up to 1 meter but can reach 2 meters depending on soil conditions and location.
