This plant can be found throughout the central and eastern portions of North America. When you know the plant’s common and scientific names, post them in a comment. Also please share any personal story you may have about this plant.
Plant in early spring
Plant in summer
Group of plants in late summer
Arrangement of leaves along stem; male flowers
Female flowers (above plant); male flowers (lower on plant)
Closer view of female flowers and developing seeds
ANSWER (subsequently added to this post to facilitate the “search” function for these images): Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis)
It’s the wood nettle (Laportea canadensis). It’s an excellent edible good for tea, veggie stock, braised greens, or fresh eating for the adventurous.
Nettles?…hated them when i was little, but now i know that they’re a nutrient powerhouse
yes, these are nettles..Never ate them but heard so much about their health benefits.
Andrew is absolutely correct. This is Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) which is our native nettle. See a previous post which compares Wood nettle with Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). I enjoy harvesting and eating Wood nettle — either lightly steamed or as a pesto.