California Hedgenettle
Stachys bullata
California Hedgenettle is a delicate, nettle-looking plant, with rough, hairy leaves. The downy, light green leaves grow in opposite pairs up the long stems and are up to 18 centimeters long. The upright stems are similarly downy and can reach up to 80 centimeters tall. The small, pale pink flowers bloom in loose clusters of six, which circle the stem directly above the leaves. The flowers are tubular in shape, with long lower petals speckled with white spots.
Basic Information
Member of the Lamiaceae (Mint) family
Perennial herb
Habitat
Native to the coastal strip from the Bay Area southward, as well as in the Channel Islands
Endemic to California
Common to mist, shaded ecosystems including riparian habitats, like stream banks, pond margins, springs, bogs, seeps and drainage ditches
Ecological Role
Hummingbirds, butterflies and other insects are attracted to the flowers
Reproduction
Blooms from April-August
monoecious flowers (have both male and female sex organs)
Alternative Names
California Hedge Nettle, Fivespot, Southern Hedge-nettle, Wood-mint
Historical Uses
Accounts by early settlers of the United States mention the plant as expectorant and wound healer and a remedy for hysteria and nausea
The hedge nettle was used by Native Americans as a remedy for colic (when a baby cries for a long time, for no obvious reason)
The Ohlone used a poultice of the plant for treating sores, earaches, stomachaches, and sore throats
Additional Information
Despite its common name, it neither forms a hedge nor does it sting like true nettles
In the late 1930s, it was being studied as an ‘oxytocic,’ to stimulate uterine contractions and aid with birth; however, no apparent ongoing uses came from said studies
Hedgenettle is cultivated as a food in certain parts of Asia today, its tubers sold as “Chinese artichokes”
