Get started identifying dead-nettles with a brand-new crib suitable for beginner botanists.

Well, our first beginner’s crib to urban ragworts seemed to go down well. Thank you for the kind comments all! Spurred on by your feedback, this week I’ve created another looking a second accessible plant family, and one just as common in our towns and cities.

I have also almost finished a festive entry on Snowdrops and hope to have a crib to small-flowered fleabanes ready soon too. Until then, let’s get started…

Identifying dead-nettles

Colourful and conspicuous, dead-nettles are some of our most familiar wildflowers. Well, at least the 1-2 species commonly spotted in flowerbeds and overgrown gardens, that is. Some dead-nettles, particularly the small red ones, can look surprisingly alike and I wanted our next crib to take a closer look at these lovely little weeds.

Please note, as ever, this focuses on the species likely to be encountered in North East England, as opposed to rarer ones. It includes:

• Red Dead-nettle
• Cut-leaved Dead-nettle
• Henbit Dead-nettle
• Spotted Dead-nettle
• White Dead-nettle
• Both Yellow Archangels