Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea
Hoary nettle, Hoary Nettle
Photo: parent species Urtica gracilis · (c) John A Haskins, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Urticaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea (Hoary nettle) is a native California herb in the Urticaceae family, recognized by Co-occurs with 3 congeners; most widespread species with variable leaf morphology.
Hoary nettle is a California native perennial found in the California Floristic Province, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert in meadows, seeps, springs, and margins of water bodies at elevations up to 3,370 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces small greenish flowers in delicate clusters. Growing with robust stems 1 to 3 meters tall, it forms dense clusters with glandular and stinging hairs. Its leaves vary from narrow-lanceolate to wide-ovate, arranged oppositely along the stem with serrated edges. The plant is generally monoecious, producing both male and female flowers on the same plant.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 3 congeners; most widespread species with variable leaf morphology
Habitat and range
Habitat: Meadows, seeps, springs, margins of marshes, streams, lakes, moist areas in chaparral, coastal scrub
Elevation: < 3370 m
California counties: Butte, Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Mendocino, San Bernardino, Placer, Plumas, San Mateo, Inyo, Alameda, Lake, Fresno, Monterey, Sonoma, Humboldt, Mono, Modoc, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Sutter, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, El Dorado, Glenn, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, Nevada, Alpine, Amador, Santa Clara, Colusa, Kings, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, Sierra, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Napa, Sacramento, Tehama, Stanislaus, Shasta, Yolo, Trinity, Solano
Outside California: western United States, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea blooms Jun-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Hesperocnide: Urtica has 4 separate unequal sepals; Hesperocnide has 2-4 fused equal sepals.; vs Scrophularia: Urtica has stinging hairs; Scrophularia is safe to touch.; vs Stachys: Urtica stings and has tiny nettle flowers; Stachys is safe with tubular mint flowers.; vs Phacelia: Urtica has opposite leaves and stings; Phacelia has coiled flower clusters and doesn't sting.; vs Rubus: Urtica has stinging hairs on herbaceous stems; Rubus has thorns on woody canes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea native to California?
Yes. Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea bloom?
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea grow?
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea occurs in Butte, Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Diego, Riverside, Orange and other counties, at elevations of < 3370 m.
What plant family does Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea belong to?
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea is in the Urticaceae family, genus Urtica.
What habitat does Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea grow in?
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea grows in Meadows, seeps, springs, margins of marshes, streams, lakes, moist areas in chaparral, coastal scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.