devil's nettle

Meaning

Noun

• Achillea millefolium or common yarrow, a flowering plant native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
• Dendrocnide sinuata (species) (synonym: Laportea crenulata), a species of nettle in the family Urticaceae found in Australia and South Asia.

Origin

• Compound of devil + -'s + nettle, perhaps for a stinging effect of the leaves, and/or for an association with the Devil or witches (see quotations below).