Do nettles grow in Florida?

Question

Where can i get nettles in Florida? I have never seen them grow around here or in any stores, and i am not even sure if they grow much in the US.

Answer 1

What we called "stinging nettles" were the bane of my childhood in northern Florida, but they aren't nettles of the urtica genus. They are actually Cnidoscolus stimulosus, or bullnettle, which unlike true nettles does not have edible leaves, but the small tuberous roots can be eaten cooked like potatoes.

Urtica chamaedryoides, Urtica urens, and Urtica dioica can be found growing wild throughout the state and do have edible leaves.

Answer 2

The US has lots and lots of nettles. From Wiki:

Nettle is part of the English name of many plants with stinging hairs, particularly those of the genus Urtica. It is also part of the name of plants which resemble Urtica species in appearance but do not have stinging hairs.

Plants called "nettle" include:

ball nettle – Solanum carolinense
bull nettle
    Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle
    Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle
    Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle
    Solanum elaeagnifolium, bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle
dead nettle, dumb nettle
    Lamium, particularly Lamium album
false nettle – Boehmeria
flame nettle – Coleus
hedge nettle – Stachys
hemp nettle – Galeopsis
horse nettle:
    Agastache urticifolia – horse-nettle
    Solanum carolinense – ball-nettle, Carolina horse-nettle
    Solanum dimidiatum – western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle
    Solanum elaeagnifolium – bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle
    Solanum rostratum – horse-nettle
nettle tree or tree nettle:
    Celtis
    Various species of the genus Dendrocnide
    Urera baccifera
    Urtica ferox
nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle - Girardinia diversifolia
painted nettle – Coleus blumei
rock nettle – Eucnide
small-leaved nettle – Dendrocnide photinophylla
spurge nettle – Cnidoscolus
stinging nettle
    most, but not all subspecies of Urtica dioica
    Urtica incisa
    Urtica ferox
tree nettle - see nettle tree
white nettle – Lamium album
wood nettle - Laportea canadensis

Many of those species are are indigenous to the US.