Urtica urens Annual nettle (Urticaceae)

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Urtica urens
Annual nettle
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The Urtica urens plant species is found in Britain. It is a member of the Urticaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Annual nettle.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Urtica urens
Common Name:  Annual nettle
Family:  Urticaceae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  The leaves of the plants have stinging hairs, causing irritation to the skin[21, 200]. This action is neutralized by heat so the cooked leaves are perfectly safe and nutritious[200]. However, only young leaves should be used because older leaves develop gritty particles called cystoliths which act as an irritant to the kidneys[172].

Mature Height:  0.6   Mature Width:

Habitat:  A weed of cultivated land and waste places, preferring light soils[17].

General Uses: A strong flax-like fibre is obtained from the stems[200]. Used for string and cloth[1, 4, 6, 13, 36], it also makes a good quality paper[115]. It is harvested as the plant begins to die down in early autumn[99]. An essential ingredient of 'QR' herbal compost activator[32], the leaves are also an excellent addition to the compost heap[12, 18, 20] and they can be soaked for 7 - 21 days in water to make a very nutritious liquid feed for plants[54]. This liquid feed is both insect repellent and a good foliar feed[14, 18, 53]. The growing plant increases the essential oil content of other nearby plants, thus making them more resistant to insect pests[18, 20, 54]. A hair wash is made from the infused leaves and this is used as a tonic and antidandruff treatment[172]. A green dye is obtained from the leaves and stems[4, 115, 232]. A yellow dye is obtained from the root[115, 232]. An oil extracted from the seeds is used as an illuminant in lamps[232].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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