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Laportea canadensis
Laportea canadensis (L.) Weddell
Canadian Woodnettle, Wood Nettle
Urticaceae (Nettle Family)
Synonym(s): Urtica canadensis, Urticastrum divaricatum
USDA Symbol: LACA3
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)
Clusters of small, greenish flowers are in the leaf axils on a stout stem with stinging hairs; female flowers are in loose, elongated clusters in upper axils; male flowers in shorter clusters in lower axils.
The flowers of the similar Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) are in tighter, more slender axillary clusters and the leaves are opposite and have heart-shaped bases.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WVCanada: MB , NB , NS , ON , PE , QC
Native Distribution: Manitoba to Quebec and Nova Scotia; south to Florida; west to Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
Native Habitat: Low woods, streambanks.
Benefit
Use Food: Young shoots eaten as potherb. Boiling destroys irritant. Add to stews or soups. Collect the young shoots in the spring. Wear gloves while collecting shoots; the shoots can cause a stinging effect. Place young shoots in boiling, salted water (with a pair of kitchen tongs) and boil for five minutes. Serve as a vegetable or add to soups. The stinging quality disappears after cooking (Poisonous Plants of N.C.).Use Other: Inner fibers extracted and woven into flax-like fabric by indigenous people.
Warning: Stinging hairs on all parts. Skin irritation if handled. Symptoms include intense burning and itching or stinging lasting usually less than an hour.
Attracts: Butterflies
Larval Host: Red Admiral
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Larval Host |
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACW | FAC | FAC | FACW | FACW |
Bibliography
Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Bibref 663 - Poisonous Plants of North Carolina (1994) Vondracek, W. ; L. Van Asch
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Laportea canadensis in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Laportea canadensis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Laportea canadensis
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-23Research By: TWC Staff