Common Name: Smallspike False Nettle
Scientific Name: Boehmeria cylindrica
Order: Urticales
Family: Urticaceae
Wetland Plant Status: Facultative in the Southeastern United States; Obligatory in the North, West, and Midwest United States
Ecology & Description Smallspike False Nettle is a forb in the nettle family that lacks stinging hairs. It is a perennial dicot that grows to two to three feet tall with a light green stem with slight pubescence. The leaves are generally opposite and rarely alternate. They are lanceolate in shape and have short petioles. The leaf margins are coarsely serrated and have are two veins parallel to the midrib with netted venation between them. Spikes of green or greenish white flowers come up from the nodes along the stem at the base of the upper leaves. These spikes range from ½ inch to 3 inches in length and are rarely terminal. This nettle is dioecious with plants exhibiting male flowers along the flowering spike in bunches and female flowers growing relatively continuously along the spike. The flowers are very small and lack petals. The male flower consists of a four-part calyx with four stamens inside while the female flower has a tubular calyx with two to four parts and a central pistil. The odorless flowers generally bloom mid-summer to early fall for one or two months. Pollination takes place through wind and results in a small one-seeded fruit or achene. The fruit is ovular and turns a dark brown when ripe.
Habitat If cultivated, this plant would be found amidst butterfly gardens. But it is otherwise thought of as a weed. It tends to grow in moist soil not constantly exposed to the sun. Probable locations of this plant include bottomlands, floodplains, mesic deciduous woodlands, and various wetlands. This nettle can be found in both degraded and high quality habitats. This plant prefers slightly acidic soils.
Distribution Smallspike False Nettle is predominately found in the southeastern United States. However, populations have been found as far north as Ontario and Quebec and as far south as Argentina
Native/Invasive Status Smallspike False Nettle is native to the southeastern United States.
Wildlife Uses The flowers of this nettle don’t attract many insects as the species is wind pollinated. However, caterpillars of Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), and Flowing-line Hypena (Bomolocha manalis) use it as a primary food source. It is likely to also be a food source for some mammalian herbivores.
Establishment Techniques Smallspike false nettle should be established in areas with moist soil in shady to partly sunny areas. Seeds should be planted just 1/8” below the surface of the soil. Cuttings can also be used to establish a stand. Because of this plant’s reliance on moist soil, it is important to never let the ground become dry between waterings.
References Harvard University Herbaria. 2015. Boehmeria Cylindrica in Flora of North America. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Online.
This document was authored by Sam Allelo, School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, April 2015.