Are nettles necessary?
Are nettles necessary?
A blog by Matthew Cameron exploring the importance of nettles in our gardens. Written 29/07/2022.
Nettles in garden is a confusing subject. Tradition dictates we treat them like a gardener’s plague, removing and preventing any sign of a nettle. Conservationists will say the opposite, “leave a patch of nettles for the local wildlife”. To know which direction is best for you, it’s essential to know a bit more. This blog will examine nettles from the roots to the unconventional pretty flowers at the sunlit top.
The virtue of nettle for insects and other wildlife are said to be numerous. Nettles tend to grow in clusters in the shade and spread through extensive shallow root systems. They take advantage of shade and bare patches to multiply rapidly, especially where soils are enriched. The ground beneath them is bare or sparsely vegetated and their flowers diminutive catkins. So, what is so great about them? What makes them great for wildlife?
Food and foraging
Nettles sting us and are covered in fine hairs. Despite these protective barriers many animals are able to consume them. Butterfly species, such as small tortoiseshell and peacock, lay eggs on the underside of leaves. Their caterpillars eat nettle leaves. Ladybirds feed on the many small bug species that use nettles for shelter, like aphids. In fact, insects tend to prefer nettles over horticultural alternatives, which is why they are often planted near carrots to prevent carrot fly. They can even serve a purpose for livestock farming. Although not eaten in situ, they are cut and included in fodder, providing the same nutrients as prized clovers. Throughout much of the year insectivorous birds will be attracted to nettles as reliable source of prey. In autumn birds will also feed on the seeds of nettles, 500 – 20 000 per shoot.
Shelter, reproduction, and nesting
As already mentioned, butterfly, ladybirds and aphids are all residents of nettle patches. Many others do too with Kew gardens noting that approximately 40 species of insect call UK nettle patches home. Burnish brass moth and red admiral butterfly are some others. These stinging plants offer protection from being grazed, by both wild and livestock animals. If you want to find some animals look in spring and early summer under the leaves for eggs and hatched larvae.
How and where to have a manageable nettle patch?
At this point you may be thinking, “I would like a few more butterflies in my garden” or “it would be great to grow organic carrots without giving a portion to the wildlife”. Followed by reservations about keeping nettles in check and introducing a stinging plant to the garden. If we can accept plants like spikey rose or hawthorn hedges, why not a patch of nettles? Many gardens have an unused corner, often in a shady less productive area, where the ornamental flowers never grow well. This is the perfect destination for a nettle patch. Ideally tall bushy plants would separate nettles from the rest of the beds. This way young nettles don’t appear to often between your ornamental plants. You may need to occasionally cut back the edges, and the dead stalks can be cut down in deep winter. Any size of patch will greatly improve the local options for insects, from the dimensions of an A4 sheet to a big patch. However, the larger it is, the more likely you are to attract butterflies.
