Ongaonga or tree nettle is covered in needle-like stinging hairs that give off a poison when brushed against. The sting is quite painful and the area around it may go numb for a short period. People have become sick or have died after blundering into a patch of tree nettle. The plant is common on bush margins and in regenerating scrub.
Download the document to read an account of tree-nettle poisoning (70 KB).
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Department of Conservation
Reference:
10055581
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