Hesperocnide tenella

Western nettle

Family: Urticaceae · Type: annual · Native

Western nettle is a California native annual found in coastal and southwestern bioregions including northern coastal and Sierra Nevada foothills, inhabiting moist, shaded areas in chaparral, coastal scrub, and riparian woodlands at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from February to June, this delicate plant produces small, inconspicuous flowers in spheric clusters. Growing with slender stems up to 50 centimeters tall, it forms a delicate, wispy habit in sheltered woodland environments. Its thin, ovate leaves measure 4 to 40 millimeters long with blunt serrated edges, often positioned at the base of rocks or shrubs. The small stipules and slender leaf stalks contribute to its subtle, understated botanical character.

Habitat: Moist, shaded areas, often at base of rocks or shrubs, in chaparral, coastal scrub, riparian woodland, mesic oak woodland

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: < 1200 m

Bioregions: CW, SW (uncommon NCo, NCoRI, SNF)

California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Madera, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Francisco, Riverside, Orange, Monterey, Ventura, San Mateo, Alameda, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Contra Costa, Kern, Marin, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Butte, Sutter, Colusa, Lake

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.