Fauna
Plant

False Nettle

Boehmeria cylindrica

Also known as Bog Hemp, Small-Spike False Nettle

False nettle thrives in shaded, soggy soils along streams, river bottoms, and marsh edges across the Americas. While visually mirroring stinging nettle with its opposite, sharply toothed leaves and dense greenish flower spikes, it completely lacks stinging hairs. It serves as an essential larval host plant for several nymphalid butterflies, including the red admiral and question mark.

WetlandNativeHost Plant
False Nettle reference1 / 7
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Red Admiral Caterpillar
  • Question Mark Caterpillar
  • Mammalian Herbivores
ThreatsWetland drainage, invasive plant competition
HabitatsWet meadows, swamps, floodplain forests, stream banks
Life spanPerennial
Classification
  1. OrderRosales
  2. FamilyUrticaceae
  3. GenusBoehmeria
  4. SpeciesBoehmeria cylindrica
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Identification: Look for opposite, serrated leaves and greenish spike-like flower clusters without stinging hairs.
  • Habitat Spotting: Search along damp trail edges, stream borders, and marshy woods.
  • Butterfly Spotting: Examine the foliage during summer to find feeding caterpillars.
Related species
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