THIS IS A DRAFT
The species account below is an early version, drafted around 2003. It has been provided here to aid understanding, but please be aware it may not fully tally with the up-to-date map and statistics shown below.
Urtica dioica
Common Nettle
Species Details
This nettle is a very common and locally abundant native perennial of a wide range of woody and herbaceous communities particularly where the soil is enriched by nutrient input from rivers, animal excrement or other organic wastes. It thus occurs throughout the county except for the high moors. The BSBI's Local Change Survey also found this increase due to eutrophication of infertile habitats, such that it is now amongst the most recorded plants in the county. In Ripley it was ??is celebrated in “Oak and nettle day”. Here girls scuttled to school clutching a sprig of oak leaves to protect themselves from gangs of boys who stopped them and demand “show the oak”. Any who could not, had to submit to being slapped with a bunch of nettles.