False Nettle Boehmeria cylindrica
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Boehmeria cylindrica var. drummondiana
- Phonetic Spelling
- beh-MEE-ree-ah sil-LIN-dri-kah
- Description
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False Nettle is a flowering, herbaceous perennial plant that is native to Canada and North America. It is commonly found on moist or shady ground, deciduous woods, swamps, bogs, marshes, wet meadows and ditches. The plant displays tiny greenish flowers in small clusters, arranged in continuous or interrupted spikes in the axils of opposite leaves. Although a member of the nettle family and, in appearance, like stinging nettles Urtica dioica or Laportea canadensis, plants in this genus do not have stinging hairs on its opposite leaves. The genus name honors the German botanist Georg Boehmer. The species name is based on the cylindrical spikes located in the leaf axils.
False Nettle prefers the light shade and moist, well drained, rich loamy soil. In sunny locations, this plant prefers wetter ground and the foliage may become yellowish green. False Nettle is dioecious (meaning individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant), thus both male and female plants must be grown if seed is desired.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Boehmeria
- Species:
- cylindrica
- Family:
- Urticaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Canada, central and eastern United States
- Distribution:
- Florida to Texas and west to California, north to Southern Quebec, Southern Ontario and Minnesota. Introduced into France.
- Wildlife Value:
- This is a larval host plant that supports Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), and Question Mark Butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis) caterpillars. Questionmark butterflies have an interesting life cycles: overwintered adult Question Mark butterflies lay eggs from spring until the end of May. These will appear as summer adults from May-September, laying eggs that then develop into the winter adult form. The winter adults appear in late August and shelter for the winter starting the cycle all over again. Adult Question Mark butterflies feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, and carrion only visiting flowers for feeding when absolutely necessary. Fly larva (Neolasioptera boehmeriae) form spindle shaped galls on the leaves. Mammals browse the foliage of this plant.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Weed
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Small, oval-shaped seeds are covered in small, hook-like hairs. Once mature, the seeds are dark brown.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Spike
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Late summer to early fall tiny greenish white wind pollinated flowers appear from the axils of the upper leaves. They form head-like clusters in upward pointing spikes that are 1/2 to 3 inches long. Plants are usually dioecous with male and female plants separate. of the upper leaves. Sometimes the flowers are terminal, but more often they will develop additional leaves beyond the flowers. Male flowers are distributed along the spikes in bunches, while female flowers are produced along the spikes more or less continuously. These flowers are very small and lack petals. There is no floral scent; pollination is by wind.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Opposite (occasionally alternate) leaves with coarsely serrate margins 4 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide with long thin petioles. There is a central vein and two parallel secondary veins. Does not have stinging hairs like other nettles.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Light green round or 4 angled or round, smooth to slightly pubecent.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
