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.
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Plants With Stinging Hairs
1. Small Nettle
Botanical Name –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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 –Â 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.
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