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Stachys cooleyae

Cooley's Hedge Nettle

At a Glance: Perennial from rhizomes.

Height: Up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Erect stems, leafy, simple or branched, square in cross-section, hairy/fuzzy.
Leaves: Opposite arrangement; hairy/fuzzy curved bristles on upper and lower surfaces, stalked, coarsely toothed along edges; petioles are 1.5-4.5 cm long; shape: deltoid; size: 4-16 cm long; color: green.
Flowers: Several to many in open terminal cluster; hairy, stalkless; sepals united in a tube with 5 spine-tipped lobes; petals fused into a two-lipped tube, the lower lip is 3-lobed; 4 stamens; 4-lobed ovary; primary color: deep red to purple; size: 23-40 mm long; shape: tubular.
Flowering Period: June, July, August.
Fruits: 4 nutlets.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
Common in open or in forest under story. full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	Prefers moist habitat, common along coast. wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACW (facultative wetland)	Only common at lower elevations. low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Prefers nutrient rich, mucky, peaty soils.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: The showy, bright tubular flowers and frequently visited by several species of hummingbirds.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Nuu-chah-nulth fishermen wiped their hands on this plant before handling their gear.
Medicinal Uses: The Saanich peoples made spring tonic by steeping the crushed rhizomes in boiling water. The Green River and Puyallup peoples used the hedge nettle to cure boils. The Quileute used the hedge nettle to cure rheumatism.
Food Uses: The Haida used to chew on the young stems. The Quinalt peoples sucked the nectar from the flowers and covered steaming sprouts with hedge nettle plants to aid in the steaming process.

Suggested References

Alden, P., D. Paulson. 1998. National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest. Chanticleer Press. Page 154.
Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 197.
Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 200.
Gunther, E. 1973. 2nd ed. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press. Page 45.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 408.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 301.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 247.
Turner, N.AJ. 1975. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians: part 1, Coastal Peoples. British Columbia Provincial Museum. Page 215.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.