Nettle, Tall

Nettle, Tall

Tall Nettle is an herbaceous perennial with widely spreading bright yellow rhizomes and stolons. It can grow 3 to 7’ tall in the summer with soft green leaves and dies to the ground in the winter. The leaves and stems are very hairy with both stinging and non-stinging hollow hairs. The tips of these hairs break off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that injects several chemicals including: acetylcholine, formic acid, leudotrienes, moroidin, and histamine. These compounds cause a painful sting from which the plant gets its name. It can be found in every state, but Hawaii and found especially in areas that receive high rainfall. Tall nettle has fewer stinging hairs than stinging nettle.

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