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Weed Identification in Christmas Trees

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Stinging nettle - Urtica dioica L.
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Stinging nettle stem Stinging nettle hairs on stem
Stinging nettle stem. Close-up of stinging hairs on stem of stinging nettle.
Stinging nettle foliage and flowers
Stinging nettle foliage and flower clusters.
Life cycle: Erect, rhizomatous perennial.

Leaves: Opposite, egg- to lance-shaped with a rounded base and pointed tip. Petiolated leaves have coarsely toothed margins, smooth surfaces to a few hairs beneath and long, stinging hairs on the lower surface. Contact with stinging hairs can cause a skin irritation.

Stems: Four-angled, herbaceous stems are usually erect and unbranched, up to 6 feet tall and covered with stinging hairs. Contact with stinging hairs can cause a skin irritation.

Flowers and fruit: Inconspicuous, green to yellow flowers are formed in clusters in the upper leaf axils. The seed is enclosed in a single-seeded, tan, egg-shaped fruit.

Reproduction: Seeds and rhizomes that form extensive colonies.
Stinging nettle leaf Stinging nettle seedling
Stinging nettle leaf. Stinging nettle seedling.
The MSU IPM Program maintains this site as an access point to pest management information at MSU. The IPM Program is administered within the Department of Entomology, fueled by research from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, delivered to citizens through MSU Extension, and proud to be a part of Project GREEEN.
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02/08/08