Boehmeria spicata - False Nettle

Boehmeria spicata is part of a group of perennial plants similar to nettles but without the sting, cultivated for their lush foliage and exotic charm. This plant stands out from the others with its bushy habit, and decorative red woody stems. The plant forms a beautiful bush adorned with small dentate leaves that turn yellow in autumn, and offers pale pink flowers in late summer. Like all nettles, it enhances the damp and shaded areas of the garden that it loves and the surrounding plants. Still not widely planted, Boehmeria is a robust perennial that grows quickly. Primarily grown for its foliage, its flowers also add a touch of subtle elegance to the back of borders.

Boehmeria spicata, belongs to the family of nettle plants. It is naturally found in a large part of China, Korea, and Japan, where it grows in cool undergrowth. It is a deciduous shrub in winter, perennial at its stump. Foliage appears in spring, and the leaves fall in autumn. In very cold winters, the branches freeze, and the plant regrows from the stump in spring. The branched stems form a spreading bushy clump about 1m (3ft) tall and 1.20m (4ft) in diameter. The stems bear small opposite leaves, triangular in shape, finely toothed at the edges. They are bright green, turning yellow in autumn. Flowering occurs in August-September, in the axils of the upper leaves. The tiny flowers are a delicate pink colour and are grouped in slender trailing spikes. Male and female flowers usually appear on separate plants. They are pollinated by the wind.

Boehmeria spicata is a very interesting plant to liven up slightly shaded areas, in rich and damp soil, alongside ferns, bugbanes, meadowsweets, and lush rodgersias, for example. It is also beautiful at the back of borders, adding volume and working wonders alongside flowering shrubs. Hydrangeas, mountain laurels, and other heath plants will also be enhanced by its exuberant and bright vegetation.