Laportea canadensis - Canadian Wood Nettle

Family:	Urticaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1
Width:	1
Synonyms:	Urtica canadensis.
Range:	N. America - Nova Scotia to Ontario and North Dakota, south to Florida and Kansas.

Laportea canadensis (Canadian Wood Nettle) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1m and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 0.
The flowers from this plant are and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

Canadian Wood Nettle will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Canadian Wood Nettle prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Canadian Wood Nettle can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Low woods, moist places and banks of streams[43, 159].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this plant and do not know how hardy it is, but it succeeds outdoors at Kew and Cambridge Botanical Gardens as well as our trial grounds in Cornwall[K]. It should succeed in most soils in sun or semi-shade.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 3/5
Young leaves - cooked[105]. Very nutritious and with a delicious flavour, they are used like spinach[159]. Some caution should be observed when harvesting this plant since the raw leaves have stinging hairs. It is perfectly safe to eat the leaves when they are cooked, however, since heat completely destroys the sting[K].

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
A decoction of the plant is used in the treatment of fevers[257]. The root is diuretic[257]. An infusion of the crushed roots has been used to facilitate childbirth[257].

• Birthing aid - Used in facilitating birth, but not just to cause uterine contrctions.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Febrifuge - Reduces fevers.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Known Hazards

The leaves have stinging hairs, much like stinging nettles to which they are related.

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the stem is used for making nets, cordage etc[4, 46, 61, 159, 257]. It is up to 50 times stronger than cotton[123].

• Fibre - Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Author: Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Date of Publication : 1970

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