NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Cnidoscolus stimulosus

Scientific Name:	Cnidoscolus stimulosus
Genus:	Cnidoscolus
Species Epithet:	stimulosus
Common Name:	Tread Softly, Spurge Nettle
Plant Type	Herb/Wildflower
Life Cycle	Perennial
Plant Family	Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)
Native/Alien:	NC Native
Size:	0-1 ft., 1-3 ft.
Bloom Color(s):	White
Light:	Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day
Bloom Time:	March, April, May, June, July, August
Growing Area:	Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain
Habitat Description:	Sandhills, dry sandy woodlands, other dry sandy soils.
Leaf Arrangement:	Alternate
Leaf Retention:	Deciduous
Leaf Type:	Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like
Leaf Form:	Simple
Life Cycle:	Perennial
Wildlife Value:	Not Assigned
Landscape Value:	Not Recommended for home landscapes
State Rank:	S5: Secure ^(*Key)
Global Rank:	G5 - Secure ^(*Key)
Notes:	Very common beneath longleaf pine in the Sandhills
In bud Tread Softly grows in sandy woods and old fields with sandy soil. It is common in the Coastal Plain; rare in the Piedmont. Paynter, Wilmington, May, 2011
Flowers The plant is entirely covered with stinging hairs. Wilmington, May, 2011
Leaf Tom Harville
Fruit David Paynter, Wilmington, August 20, 2015
Links:	USDA PLANTS Database Record