Boehmeria sieboldiana - False Nettle

Boehmeria sieboldiana is part of a group of perennial plants similar to nettles but without the sting.  Also know as Siebold's false nettle, it is grown for its lush vegetation. It is of rare elegance, with a slender habit and splendid textured, lanceolate and glossy foliage, which is finely dentate. Like its relatives, it will bring life to the damp and shady areas of the garden and will enhance all neighbouring plants. This species is very cold-resistant, up to -15°C (5°F).  Boehmeria are robust perennials that grow quickly. Primarily grown for their foliage, their flowers also add a touch of subtle elegance to the back of borders.

Boehmeria sieboldiana belongs to the family Urticaceae.  The plant is native to Korea and Japan where it grows in cool undergrowth. It is a herbaceous plant with semi-woody stems that become deciduous in winter, perennial from its stump. Foliage appears in spring and dries out in autumn. It consists of simple or branching stems forming an upright clump of 80 cm (32in) to 1 m (3ft) in height and about 60 cm (24in) in diameter, sometimes more, up to 1.50 m (5ft). The stems bear opposite, lanceolate leaves with finely toothed edges and prominent veins. They are a bright green colour. The flowers, quite insignificant, takes place in August-September, at the axil of the upper leaves. The very small flowers are whitish-green to bronze in colour, and are grouped in thin spikes that may be more or less erect or trailing. Male and female flowers usually appear on separate plants. They are pollinated by the wind.

Boehmeria sieboldiana is a very interesting plant to brighten slightly shaded areas, in rich and moist soil, in the company of ferns, bugbanes Cimicifuga, meadowsweets Filipendula and lush Rodgersia for example. It is also beautiful in the background of borders, adding volume and working wonders alongside flowering shrubs. Hydrangeas, kalmias, and other heathland plants will also be enhanced by its bright foliage.