Thread: Urtica ferox / ongaonga /tree nettle

If you do not have kawakawa leaves handy then you can use the sap of the ongaonga plant on the stinging parts and it helps

We come across nettle in lots of places down here, always in those dark, damp guts and gullies. I've had a number of belts from it but generally it doesn't bother me too much and after the initial pain I get a day or so of tingling. The first time I came across it was in the Urewera's and I tried to wash the stinging area in a creek to remove the pain. That actually semed to make it worse and it took severals days to stop tingling. So I learned that if stung, the best thing to do was nothing... not to rub it or wash it. I wish I knew about those natural remedies mentioned here!

Which leads me to the next question - is the stuff you have in the NI stronger than the stuff we have down here in the SI?

Originally Posted by Rushy

You might be talking about Bidibidi.

Thats the bugger. thanks!

https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/bidi-bidi

I hate that plant.

Originally Posted by aetchell

Thats the bugger. thanks!

https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/bidi-bidi

I hate that plant.

Youll haye it even more if you have a long haired dog. ...

The shock of getting an unexpected sting is worse than the actual sting I reckon.
I get in the habit of touching it on purpose, tip of the finger kinds sucks but on the arm and legs it can have a simar effect to arnica cream or otherwise, the burning and numbing sensation is actually something I've developed a fondness for on sore muscles.
It's also perfectly edible when boiled and makes a nice tea, good bush tucka.

Anyone here ever run into the Stinging Tree in the East Coast Aussie rainforests? Cool looking tree, but the sting makes ongaonga look like childs play. I'd rather roll around naked in a valley of Ongaonga than get a touch from one of those blighters again.

Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

Spotted this on a walk in Newlands, Wellington, (Seton-Noissiter Park) this morning... I think it's ongaonga. Can anyone confirm? I was lucky - wearing shorts and these lil' bastards were at about knee height. I know the look of them and didn't fall victim to their poison. Just a reminder to keep those eyes peeled!
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If you hunt in Te Urewera and Opotiki - Whirinaki - get used to it - Uritica Ferox - ongaonga - grows up to 6-8 feet high - I could be wrong but what is in photo does not look like our native onga onga - well not the one I am used to- you just simply get and eye in for it and avoid it - deer feed on it - trim back a small piece of stem with a pocket knive and rub the juice of the stem on the burn and yes that works - dogs very susceptible - but very common and yes it bites

Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

Spotted this on a walk in Newlands, Wellington, (Seton-Noissiter Park) this morning... I think it's ongaonga. Can anyone confirm? I was lucky - wearing shorts and these lil' bastards were at about knee height. I know the look of them and didn't fall victim to their poison. Just a reminder to keep those eyes peeled!
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I don't think that's our native onga onga unless very juvenile plant - our native can grow 10 feet high as big shrub

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

If you do not have kawakawa leaves handy then you can use the sap of the ongaonga plant on the stinging parts and it helps

I can vouch for this remedy its what we used to use in Te Urewera and it works

Originally Posted by planenutz

We come across nettle in lots of places down here, always in those dark, damp guts and gullies. I've had a number of belts from it but generally it doesn't bother me too much and after the initial pain I get a day or so of tingling. The first time I came across it was in the Urewera's and I tried to wash the stinging area in a creek to remove the pain. That actually semed to make it worse and it took severals days to stop tingling. So I learned that if stung, the best thing to do was nothing... not to rub it or wash it. I wish I knew about those natural remedies mentioned here!

Which leads me to the next question - is the stuff you have in the NI stronger than the stuff we have down here in the SI?

I got hammered with nettle in the Kawekas, mainly affecting my hands.. For 3 weeks afterwards, every time I washed my hands, the pain flared up.

Originally Posted by aetchell

I dont know much about NZ flora other than ongaonga (im a pom) but whats that annoying plant that has round spikey balls that stick to your socks and trousers and then it explodes into tiny sticky annoying seeds when you look at it. Whatever that is, i bloody hate it!

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hootiwai or bidi bidi is its common/maori name..the curse of north island sheep farmers....if you dont get sheep shorn before it starts to stick....very very low wool check.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

hootiwai or bidi bidi is its common/maori name..the curse of north island sheep farmers....if you dont get sheep shorn before it starts to stick....very very low wool check.

I dont mind onga onga always looked hard at patches in spring likely a deer feeding on it - but bloody hook grass - yup ice cold river crossing and into the hook grass bracing stuff -we used a 6 ft strip of light canvas as a putty and bound that round our bullers and socks - no fancy mac pac gaiters back then -I remember hearing the sound of an animal moving and feeding in big onga onga patch - snuck in and looked and looked - sound of a deer feeding really close put scope up and hind eyeballing me from about 5 ft in front of barrel -she was right in the bloody middle of it - 222. below the chin and then 10mins with knive getting the her out

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Is this stuff the same as stinging nettle over in Aus?
If so, if boil it you can eat that.

Originally Posted by T.FOYE

Is this stuff the same as stinging nettle over in Aus?
If so, if boil it you can eat that.

no - native ongaonga (urtica ferox ) highly likely different plant -ongaonga grows up to 3 metres and can be in big groves metres wide --there is a small nettle I call english nettle - grows only about 250cm quite often on banks or wasteland as a weed - that can be eaten apparently - maybe like puha needs to be washed and sap gently squeezed out - one of those people who forage for edible weeds will likely know