Experts say that nettles are vital for biodiversity in Britain and that they are one of the most important native plants for wildlife in the UK.
Over one hundred species of invertebrate use our common stinging nettles as a food plant. They are the primary food source for many of our most beautiful butterfly caterpillars and many moths. Without them, our red admirals, peacocks, small tortoiseshell, comma and painted ladies would struggle to survive. Nettles are their preferred egg laying site, because on hatching the caterpillars will benefit from a nutritious diet of nettle leaves. Without nettles, you will rarely see any of these butterflies in your garden!
Most animals will not eat nettle leaves due to their sting, so tiny insects choose to live between the sting hairs in safety. Colonies of aphids develop, attracting ladybirds or lacewings, who then lay their eggs on the underside of nettle leaves, knowing that when their eggs hatch into larvae, there will be vast numbers of juicy aphids for their young to eat! These will then go on to control our garden pests more widely.
The aphid populations will also provide food for blue tits, sparrows, wrens and dunnocks who feed them to their chicks.
Nettles flower in late spring, providing much needed nectar for our struggling pollinators, and when the flower heads turn into seed in late summer, bullfinches, goldfinches and sparrows will feast on the fat and protein-rich seeds. Small birds may even nest in clumps of nettles.
If you feel you could allow a few nettles to grow in your garden, find them a sunny quiet spot, maybe up against hedges or shrubs. To prevent spread, plant them in pots or in containers sunk into the ground. Use gloves, but if stung, a paste of baking soda or plain old soap (both alkaline) will help, plus sticky tape to remove any stinging hairs.
