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Urtica californica

Perennial

HomePerennialUrtica californica

Wet brushy thickets along the immediate coast.

Family: Urticaceae
Height: 2 m / 6 ft
Sun, Semi-shade
Light, Medium and Heavy Soil
Moist

Plant Rating

Edible Uses: 2 of 5
Medicinal Uses: 2 of 5
Other Uses: 4 of 5

Native Habitat

Stinging Nettle, California nettle Urtica californica native habitat is Wet brushy thickets along the immediate coast.

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked. A very nutritious food, high in vitamins and minerals, it makes an excellent spinach substitute and can also be added to soups and stews. Only use the young leaves and wear stout gloves when harvesting them to prevent getting stung. Although the fresh leaves have stinging hairs, thoroughly drying or cooking them destroys these hairs. Nettle beer is brewed from the young shoots.

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