Urtica ferox
| Urtica ferox | |
|---|---|
| Urtica ferox leaves and spines | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae | 
| Clade: | Tracheophytes | 
| Clade: | Angiosperms | 
| Clade: | Eudicots | 
| Clade: | Rosids | 
| Order: | Rosales | 
| Family: | Urticaceae | 
| Genus: | Urtica | 
| Species: | U. ferox | 
| Binomial name | |
| Urtica ferox | |
Urtica ferox, commonly known as tree nettle and, in Māori, ongaonga, taraonga, taraongaonga оr okaoka is a species of nettle endemic to New Zealand. Unlike the other species in the genus Urtica found in New Zealand, all of which are herbaceous, ongaonga is a large woody shrub that can grow to a height of 3 m (9.8 ft), with the base of the stem reaching 12 cm (4.7 in) in thickness. It has large spines that can result in a painful sting that lasts several days.
The plant is the main source of food for larvae of the New Zealand red admiral butterfly.