Boehmeria cylindrica

Smallspike False Nettle

• Prefers part sun but can grow in brigher or shadier areas.
• Requires average to high moisture soils, not tolerant of dry settings.
• 12" to 24" tall and wide
• Ontario Native. Best in wet meadow or woodland ecosystems.

Could your garden use some punctuation? A few colourful Commas or Question Marks to punctuate the summer blooms? Then you might want to consider including some of these plants in your space, since they provide nurseries for baby punctuation. (For everyone reading this and going "What…?" The two butterfly species pictured are Eastern Comma and Question Mark, both of which feed on nettle family plants, among others, at the caterpillar stage.)

These small, unassuming plants thrive in damp locations in partial shade. Like other members of the nettle family, their foliage is also edible for humans when harvested while still tender, at the start of the growing season. Unlike some other members of the Nettle family, these don’t have stinging hairs, which can make them easier to integrate into some urban spaces where they may encounter humans, or others, who are not always aware and respectful of a Stinging Nettle’s capacity for self defence.

When they are given plenty of room and are happy with their setting, they will grow to roughly 3’ tall and 2’ to 3’ wide. In a more crowded space, they can fill as little as a square foot.