Nature Notes - May 2011
The many wildflowers in the hedgerows, field margins and waste corners are now bursting forth and rapidly growing in response to the warmer days and longer daylight.
Many of these are well loved wildflowers such as cowslips and bluebells. However one
Dead-nettles and stinging nettles
Dead-nettles and stinging nettles
plant that is now shooting upwards is unfortunately one of the most detested despite it being a very useful plant, namely the common stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. It is a common plant occurring in North America, Europe, right across Asia and down into Africa.
Clearly hated for their sting and the fact that they are invasive, they are often beaten into submission in gardens and hedgerows by cutting, flaying and poisoning. Sadly this shouldn’t be the case as they have a great many attributes.
To begin with, they are great for wildlife being a food plant for peacock, small tortoiseshell, red admiral and comma caterpillars and a secondary food plant for painted ladies. This has a double benefit in helping to feed some key pollinators in ensuring another generation of some of the nation’s favourite insects but also keeps the nettles in check.
The fresh young growth of the nettle is also highly attractive to aphids. These can swarm onto the plants in their thousands where they suck nectar from the stems which in turn stunts the growth of the nettle. Hence a nettle patch may actually save some prized garden plants by attracting both aphids and caterpillars away from them whilst at the same time restricting the growth of the nettle.
Furthermore, the aphids become a food source for bigger insects and birds, particularly our smaller species such as tits and warblers, which will be busy feeding their young. The nettles are also a favourite of ladybirds; here they lay their eggs such that when the larvae develop, they will be close to their source of food, namely the aphids. Thus again the nettle provides a valuable resource in attracting aphids away from garden plants and then providing the useful predator of aphids, mites, black fly etc a ready made home for their young.
Keeping with the garden theme, nettles are also a great nitrogen rich liquid feed for the garden. This is made by breaking the nettles into small pieces and ramming into a large container. Weight them down with stones and add water to fully submerge the nettles. Leave for three or four (smelly!) weeks and then dilute by roughly 1 part to 10 parts water for direct application.
After this, if you still do not think nettles are worthy of being retained in a small patch in the garden, you can always make them into a hearty soup or refreshing tea, the latter reported to help in the relief of eczema and hay fever.
What to look for in May:
Early in the month the hedgerows should be smothered in hawthorn blossom with banks and hedgerows covered in red campion, cow parsley and bluebells. Next to some of the fast moving streams such as the Avon. there are large clumps of aromatic wild garlic. Birds are busy breeding and can be seen foraging for insects along the upper branches of oak trees and the first damsel and dragonflies will be emerging.
First published May 2011 By the Dart