Get to know about different plants with stinging hairs in this short yet informative article. It’s a must-read for curious gardeners!
Did you know there are some plants with stinging hairs that cause a painful sensation when touched? This unique defense mechanism protects them from various plant-eaters. Browse this post to learn more about these peculiar specimens.
Plants With Stinging Hairs
1. Small Nettle
Botanical Name – Urtica urens
Small nettle is a herbaceous flowering plant with small greenish flowers and stiff, stinging hairs on leaves. Its hairs cause reddening, itching, swelling, and a burning sensation on contact.
2. Canadian Wood Nettle
Botanical Name – Laportea canadensis
Endemic to Central and East Canada to Mexico, the erect perennial herb can reach up to 2 to 4 feet in height. It bears white-hued stinging hairs on younger leaves and stems.
3. Cowhage
Botanical Name – Mucuna pruriens
Cowhage is a climbing legume that boasts alternate, lance-shaped foliage and dark brown seed pods with stinging hairs. Its hair discharges dermatitis-causing Dimethyltryptamine and poisonous alkaloids when touched.
4. Stinging Nettle
Botanical Name – Urtica dioica
This North American perennial herb produces lanceolate to ovate-shaped foliage and tiny inconspicuous flowers on long droopy stems. Stinging nettle can reach heights up to 1-3 meters.
5. Bull Nettle
Botanical Name – Cnidoscolus stimulosus
Bull nettle, also known as the Finger Rot and Tread Softly, is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family. This perennial requires light shade to produce beautiful white blooms and prickly leaves.
6. Spurge Nettle
Botanical Name – Cnidoscolus urens
Spurge nettle is recognized for its large, lobed leaves and white flowers. This entire tropical plant is covered with irritation-causing stinging hairs.
7. Indian Stinging Nettle
Botanical Name – Tragia involucrata
The Indian stinging nettle is a twining herb that stands out with heart-shaped, serrated foliage and stinging hairs. This plant is common in ethnomedicinal and ethnopharmacological applications.
8. Tree Nettle
Botanical Name – Urtica ferox
Tree nettle produces green, sharply-toothed leaves with white stinging hairs along the midribs and leaf stalks. The stems of this New Zealand native are also covered by short and large hairs.
9. Gympie-Gympie
Botanical Name – Dendrocnide moroides
Gympie-Gympie or suicide plant is popular for its extremely painful and long-lasting stinging hairs. It’s common in rainforest areas of Malesia and Australia.
10. Himalayan Nettle
Botanical Name – Girardinia diversifolia
This perennial herb is used as traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases in Nepal. It’s a shade-tolerant plant that thrives at elevations between 1,200 to 3,000 meters.
11. Cannabis Leaf Nettle
Botanical Name – Tragia plukenetii
This herb or under-shrub can become 1 m tall with greenish flowers and toothed leaves with bristly hairs. It’s typically found in hedges and in forest outskirts.
12. Japanese Nettle
Botanical Name – Urtica thunbergiana
A perennial herb native to Japan, China, and Taiwan, Japanese nettle is a common sight in forests and along streams. Although this plant has pain-causing hairs, it’s a popular ingredient in various Taiwan dishes.