Stachys tenuifolia
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Stachys tenuifolia Willd Smooth hedgenettle.tiff
| genus = Stachys
| species = tenuifolia
| authority = Willd.
}}
Stachys tenuifolia, the smooth hedgenettle,{{Cite web |title=USDA Plants Database |url=https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/STTE |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=plants.usda.gov}} is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae.
Distribution
The distribution of Stachys tenuifolia is Eastern Canada, to central and Eastern USA.{{Cite web |title=Stachys tenuifolia Willd. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:460035-1 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}} It is a wetland indicator species. Being found in wooded brownwater river bottoms and edges. {{Cite web |title=Stachys tenuifolia (Smooth Hedge-nettle) - FSUS |url=https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu/show-taxon-detail.php?taxonid=5475 |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=fsus.ncbg.unc.edu |language=en}}
Description
Identifying features for this species are a root system consisting of a taproot and rhizomes, and can spread to form vegetative colonies.{{Cite web |title=Smooth Hedge Nettle (Stachys tenuifolia) |url=https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sl_hdgnettlex.htm |access-date=2025-05-07 |website=www.illinoiswildflowers.info}} It is Pollinated primarily by long tongue bees producing 4 black nutlets and visited by short tongue bees, white flower flies feeding on its pollen. Due to the bitter foliage it is not often eaten by mammalian herbivores.