Scientific Name: Dendrocnide excelsa

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  • Pronunciation:
    den-DROCK-need ex-CELL-sah
  • Common Name:
    Giant Stinging Tree
  • Type:
    Tree
  • Family:
    URTICACEAE
  • Flowers:
    November to April
  • Vegetation Type:
    Rainforest, often in disturbed areas
  • Species List:
    Kennilworth Fig Tree Walk, Craft,Bush Food, Bush medicine
Cultural Notes

Bark was a source of fibre for lines and nets. Chewed bark used as mop for extracting honey from hives. Cloth made from inner bark used as a baby's blanket.||Fruit eaten but may have STINGING HAIRS.||Leaves applied for rhumatism - Ouch! (Marc Russell)||

Identification Notes

Bark pale grey/grown with small corky protruberances Branchlets green and fleshy with stinging hairs Terminal buds covered by stipules ||**Caution! Stringing leaves, stinging hairs.**|| **Pain caused by contact with this tree** (see Comments below)||

Landscaping Notes

Successfully propagated by Barung Landcare||