Tread Softly

Description:

The green leaves of this plant are alternate, consisting of three to five untoothed lobes. The large, white flowers have five petals. Male and female flowers are on different plants. Flowers occur throughout the spring and summer followed by a small capsule that produces three large seeds. The entire plant above ground including the flower petals are covered with stinging hairs.

Habitat:

It prefers sandy, well-drained soil and mostly exists in pine/blackjack oak forests on sandhills, rims of Carolina bays, dunes, dry pastures, fields and roadsides. This one was photographed at the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve.

Notes:

It is also known as spurge nettle, bull nettle, and finger rot. The tap root can be used as an excellent potato substitute, tasting like pasta.