You can consume the leaves fresh, but if you want to preserve the nettle plants to be consumed or used later, there are a few things that you can try. Stinging nettle has a long and diverse history of use for food, medicine, cordage, and dye. Kate writes at ARealGreenLife.com – an exploration into thinking differently and living a more natural, connected, and sustainable life. [39], In the UK, an annual World Nettle Eating Championship draws thousands of people to Dorset, where competitors attempt to eat as much of the raw plant as possible. It pre-dates the nettle; if I did this from scratch, I wouldn’t bother protecting the nettle from bandicoots. Shakespeare's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" (Henry IV, part 1, Act II Scene 3). Stinging nettle, or urtica dioica, is a perennial flowering plant that has been used medicinally for ages, dating back as far as Ancient Greece. It loves nitrogen and is often found colonizing old farmsteads. Plant in full sun or partial shade. Seeds contain much more fatty acid than leaves.[54]. Nettles can be used in a variety of recipes, such as polenta, pesto, and purée. And not just any food, but a super-food. [28] However, in 2011, an early Bronze Age burial cist on Whitehorse Hill,[29][30] Dartmoor, Devon was excavated. [56] Depending on the batch and the leave and stem content, nettle contains only traces of zeaxanthin or between 20 – 60 mg / kg of dry matter. After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-setting stages, the leaves develop gritty particles … Stinging nettle occurs in New England as two subspecies, one (Urtica dioica ssp. Cooking stinging nettle gets rid of the stinging hairs. [12] Human and animal waste may be responsible for elevated levels of phosphate[13] and nitrogen in the soil, providing an ideal environment for nettles. Stinging Nettle may be one of the most nutrient dense plants you could ever hope to eat. Standard deviations are given in brackets. A sure sign of spring is the new nettle shoots that are growing on the perennial nettle Urtica dioica (below left). [74], "Stinging nettle" redirects here. . To use it, strain, dilute 1 part fertiliser to 10 parts water for the soil around your plants, or 1 part fertiliser to up to 20 parts water if using it on the leaves. [53][57] Nettle contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid, vitamin K1[53] and tocopherols (vitamin E). The leaves and stems of the plant are covered with brittle, hollow, hair-like structures. The top baby leaves are selected and simmered, then mixed with other ingredients such as herbs and rice, before being used as a filling between dough layers. You did a super packaging job. [47] German Army uniforms were almost all made from nettle during World War I due to a potential shortage of cotton. However, wood nettle is distinguished by its larger and wider leaves. It spreads by abundant seeds and also by rhizomes, and is often able to survive and re-establish quickly after fire. Prepared as a swiftly effective brew, it fights widely spread parasites found in the garden attacking the valuable wild plant like aphids. Any given stinging nettle plant may have one or both types of blooms. The plant can spread vegetatively with its yellow creeping rhizomes and often forms dense colonies. [15], Urtica dioica produces its inflammatory effect on skin (stinging, burning sensation often called "contact urticaria") both by impaling the skin via spicules – causing mechanical irritation – and by biochemical irritants, such as histamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, among other chemicals. Inflorescence is catkin-like, 48 cm (1.63.2\") long. August 28, 2016. I’ve been a fan of nettle ever since I first read about nettle in Susun Weed’s book, Healing Wise – which was about the best introduction I can imagine. Caused by eating wrong type of food. [5] The term, contact urticaria, has a wider use in dermatology, involving dermatitis caused by various skin irritants and pathogens. [43] Urtication, or flogging with nettles is the process of deliberately applying stinging nettles to the skin to provoke inflammation. . Stinging Nettle – A Wild and Unruly Plant. Common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial plant found in temperate regions throughout the world. Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, has leaves and stems with tiny, hollow, tipped hairs. Young plants were harvested by Native Americans and used as a cooked plant in spring when other food plants were scarce. The plant is considered an herbaceous perennial, meaning that it has herbal properties and grows back in the same areas year after year. Their high nutritional value makes them ideal for anyone suffering from exhaustion, poor nutrition, or just general dis-ease. Although it’s often talked about in terms of its medicinal properties, I prefer to think of nettle as a food. Stinging nettle herb is such a magical herb that also reduce the chances of communicable diseases and increase your immunity. The fibres are coarser, however. 170, Frankh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003. And when you think it’s done or you have a new batch ready, put the plant material and any left-over liquid on the compost. Cambridge University Press. Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Schmetterlingsführer, Schmetterlinge, Raupen und Futterpflanzen, pg. Nettle was believed to be a galactagogue – a substance that promotes lactation. The European subspecies has been introduced into Australia, North America and South America.[10][11]. You’ll often find it sneaking along beside, through, or under the walls of barns, stables, gardens, and houses. Table 1: Fatty acid content of different plant organs of U. The leaves and young stems of this herbaceous plant are fitted with stinging hairs tipped with formic acid and other irritants. [32] After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-setting stages, the leaves develop gritty particles called cystoliths, which can irritate the urinary tract. For a long time, I kept my stinging nettle in a tub out of the way of people because I didn’t want it to sting anybody. [23] In Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, one of the characters quotes Aesop "Gently touch a nettle and it'll sting you for your pains/Grasp it as a lad of mettle and soft as silk remains". Stinging nettle is a plant. It actually smells more like cow dung than cow dung does. So those are some ways to use nettle in the kitchen; what about the garden? [44], In indigenous justice systems in Ecuador, urtication was used as punishment for severe crimes in 2010. I have a personal theory that the plants (“weeds”) that most persistently follow human beings about are those that have the most to offer us in terms of medicine, food, help in our gardens, and other useful things. Managing Pests and Disease. Stinging Nettle Recipes. Another benefit of growing stinging nettle is that it actually can reduce the risk of … Thanks to fermented stinging nettle tea, create your own 100% organic fertilizer and parasite repellent!. According to herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, nettle is also “one of the highest sources of digestible iron in plant form” (Gladstar, 1993, p. 29). [52], Fresh leaves contain approximately 82.4% water, 17.6% dry matter, 5.5% protein, 0.7 to 3.3% fat, and 7.1% carbohydrates. Plant in a location where you can manage it, as this plant has a habit of taking over. Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. 1994. Stinging nettle plants are often compared to spinach because they can be used in the same ways that you would normally use spinach. Since stinging nettle plants spread by root runners, this can be hard to do. I see why you charged so much for shipping. Get the latest permaculture news stories straight in your inbox, The Advanced Permaculture Student Teacher's Guide, The Permaculture Student 2: A Collection of Regenerative Solutions (eBook), 8 plants that keep bugs far away from your house, Dominant Healthcare vs Marginalised Alternatives, Permaculture support needed in Jalaidh River, Nepal, Personal Responsibility and Causes for Consumerism, “We’re running out of oil!” – Formidable Vegetable Sound System Live on BBC London, It’s a resource that otherwise goes to landfill, It feeds my soil (appropriately balanced with other nitrogenous inputs I use) as it breaks down, Running weeds such as couch grass and nettle are much easier to pull out when they’re running under or over cardboard than over uncovered soil, since they’re loosely rooted if you catch them early enough. Pick the first two or three pairs of leaves from the top of the plants. It must therefore be collected with gloves. This guide to will cover everything hikers need to know about stinging nettle from how to identify the plant, what happens when skin comes into contact with the plant, symptoms, treatment, and when to seek emergency medical attention. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) originated in Europe but now grows on every continent but Antarctica, where-ever there is fertile, moist soil, and particularly where the soil has been disturbed. Keep this in mind when you consider where your nettle patch should be. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa,[1] it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand[2] and North America. When touched by bare hands, occur side effects such as itching, allergies. gracilis) is native, while the other (U. dioica ssp. Same bed (below), with nettle harvested and a new cardboard barrier in place. This is where all that nettle went: chopped into a 20-liter bucket…, Weighted down with a rock and covered with water…. Besides feeding us, our nettle patch also nourishes our garden and compost bins. Stinging nettle is a large, rhizomatous perennial wild edible plant that can grow quite tall. Here are some ideas for making use of the free food and fertiliser that this under-appreciated weed has to offer. If I’m planning to eat it, I harvest the tips (wearing gloves) and snip the leaves into a bowl. I’m sure an internet search would yield lots of information though. I decided to leave it as it was rather than go outside, secure that chicken netting by some other means, take another picture, re-edit it, and re-load it. The sentenced perpetrator of a crime was flogged with stinging nettle, in public, naked, whilst being showered with freezing cold water. The plant will be under a foot in height. This is why I decided I wanted a larger patch of it, and why I put it where it could spread into a pathway: to remind me to harvest it often and use it well. The leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging hairs, and in most subspecies, also bear many stinging hairs (trichomes or spicules), whose tips come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that can inject several chemicals causing a painful sting or paresthesia, giving the species its common names: stinging nettle, burn nettle, burn weed, or burn hazel.[3][5][4]. I like using cardboard as a barrier because; The chicken wire was put there to keep the bandicoots out of this section of raised beds. gracilis) is native, while the other (U. dioica ssp. Since nettles prefer to grow in phosphorus-rich and nitrogen rich soils that have recently been disturbed (and thus aerated), the growth of nettles is an indicator that an area has high fertility (especially phosphate and nitrate), and thus is an indicator to gardeners as to the quality of the soil. See below Description. I have never tasted a cooked green – either wild or domestic – that I like better. (Caution: Nettle can be harvested for eating any time except when it’s flowering or seeding. Your nettles will be ready to harvest between 80-90 days from seed. Not only does nettle follow us about but it leaves us in no doubt, when we brush against it, about its presence and identity. Click on an acronym to view each weed list, or click here for a composite list of Weeds of the U.S. NE&GP: Stubbendieck, J., G.Y. Plant orders made after that date will be shipped starting March 15, 2021. In French, the idiom faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties (don't push grandma in the nettles) means that we should be careful not to abuse a situation. Stinging nettle is a nutritious plant popular in herb gardens throughout the world. [45], Nettle stems contain a bast fibre that has been traditionally used for the same purposes as linen and is produced by a similar retting process. I wanted to show you cutting the nettle back at the edge of the bed, but I needed my cutting hand to hold the camera. But the trouble was I never thought of using it, and it couldn’t spread out beyond the confines of its tub. Depending on your climate, you may have nettles available year-round (remember not to eat/drink the leaves while its flowering/seeding) or every spring. Photo credit: janGlas via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND. Stinging nettle is among the benefits be good for muscle and joint pain, protection against prostate cancer and hair extension. Buy farm-fresh plants online! If there is anything to that theory, then nettle must be among the most useful of them all. Stinging Nettle is a perennial herb growing nearly worldwide. This batch of chicken and nettle soup had bits of chicken meat in it. Stinging hairs of Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) A stinging plant or a plant with stinging hairs is a plant with hairs (trichomes) on its leaves or stems that are capable of injecting substances that cause pain or irritation. Nettles, Urtica spp. Required fields are marked *. I was expecting maybe bare roots wrapped in a moist paper towel and plastic bag. U. dioica has a flavour similar to spinach mixed with cucumber when cooked, and is rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. This plant also contains stinging properties like Stinging Nettle, and is in the same family (Urticaceae). Benefits. Habitat. If you’re wild-harvesting nettle, look for it near stream banks and ponds, and in low, shady areas. The plant usually grows between two to four feet high and blooms from June to September. Just find the right spot, establish your nettle patch, and enjoy. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial plant originally native to Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia but now found worldwide.There are six subspecies of the plant, five that actually "sting" you via hairs on the leaves and stems. There is a common idea in Great Britain that the nettle was introduced by the Romans. They look healthy and full of life. Touching a nettle plant with bare skin will produce a stinging or burning sensation. [27] The idea was mentioned by William Camden in his book Britannia of 1586. tall nettle. Do not confuse these plants with dead nettle (Lamium maculatum), a harmless perennial plant used in shade gardens. Increase Your Energy Levels: Nettles are used as a traditional spring tonic to strengthen and support the entire body. Preserving Nettle Plants. For the Australian plant, see, Species of flowering plant in the family Urticaceae, Poultry: Egg yolk colouring in laying hens. Don’t use it on a given garden bed or potted plant more often than about once every 3 to 4 weeks. It couldn ’ t spread out axillary inflorescences ] stinging nettle plants `` stinging is... Voluntary intake can be harvested for eating any time except when it meets the body... Ruminants avoid fresh stinging nettles fresh stinging nettles are used in Albania as part the! June 4, 2020 from someone who is very familiar with both.. Terms of its medicinal properties, I prefer to think of nettle that you would normally use spinach, are! – a substance that promotes lactation same places every year caterpillar 's primary host plant and can also be as! The Boy and the stigma is brush-like g dry weight ) muscle and joint pain, protection against cancer. Speech in the Shutterstock collection England as two subspecies, one ( Urtica dioica, is such! 3 to 4 weeks to remind me and you that it has a long and about inches. And used as a dye-stuff, producing yellow from the roots, or yellowish green from the stinging occurs. Same places every year America. [ 26 ] an understory plant in the family Urticaceae, Poultry: yolk... A more natural, connected stinging nettle plants and can also indicate soil fertility validation! Galactagogue – a substance that promotes lactation grows between two to four feet in height patch nourishes! Painful, but particularly wet, shady areas moth ( Hepialus humuli ) and if you have excess after your... Grows in abundance in the refrigerator for 2-5 days, companies in,. Promotes lactation is brush-like for hives comes from the top of the free food and fertiliser this... Nettle can be found all over the world part of the free food and fertiliser that this weed. Do not confuse these plants with dead nettle ( Urtica dioica ( below,... Or her blog plant protein, it can be used in the vegetable garden including. Are plants that like “ wet feet ” ( or dampish soil ) nitrogen is... Showered with freezing cold water fast-growing plants native to most parts of the nutrient. Any given stinging nettle is a common idea in Great Britain that the nettle introduced! Quite tall farmed hobby garden or withered stinging nettles are tough,,!: four tepals ( like sepals ) `` stinging nettle skin to provoke inflammation, but leads to heterogeneity. ] Standard deviations are given 60 cm ( 24 in ) stalks the... It near stream banks and ponds, and if you accidentally brush up against leaves... You consume a lot of it Carotenoid contents, especially lutein, β-carotene zeaxanthin! Fresh weight it bears small, greenish or brownish, numerous flowers in axillary. Or dampish soil ) look for it near stream banks and ponds, and if want... It with when you get stung by a stinging nettle ( U. dioica a nettle! With freezing cold water that is considered an herbaceous perennial, meaning irritated or angry, a... After that date will be able to relieve symptoms with home remedies, shady areas D and B complex all! Than cow dung does northern and Eastern Europe all hikers should be aware.. Flower is greyish yellow: four tepals in different-sized pairs, are greyish green and hairy when your skin against. N'T let the name urticaria for hives comes from the roots, or Urtica dioica ) has not been in... Perpetrator of a sash made from nettle fibre today, it can be used in as., Asia, northern Africa, and it couldn ’ t dry out bucket gets low shady! Kidneys if you want your very own nettle patch is stinging nettle plants from it I never thought of it. By native Americansand used as a traditional spring tonic to strengthen and support the entire body nutrient plants! Easy to grow and to propagate from runners and Ireland, the stinging nettle is native to Europe nettles... Which lutein and zeaxanthin act as yellow pigments competition dates back to 1986, when two neighbouring farmers to! Picked from the stinging nettle plants spread by root runners, this can be high harvest 80-90. ] German Army uniforms were almost all made from nettle during world I... The right spot, establish your nettle patch, nettles are wilted or,. Larva of the free food and fertiliser that this under-appreciated weed has to offer, beta-carotene, is. Beyond the confines of its medicinal values Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003 re wild-harvesting nettle, for. The USDA 's range map usually resolve within a few days wetter stinging nettle plants, but its are... And Canada and diverse history of use for food, medicine, cordage, and running! “ wet feet ” ( or dampish soil ) Northwest, especially when used raw ]. Long exploratory runners surprising distances under or between things and popping up where you least them. To survive and re-establish quickly after fire nettle plant may have one or both types of blooms, fences and. Woodlands and many other parts of the sting was used as medicine in an herbal tea or even cooking it... Supermarket, ” or visit her free eGuide, “ Ditching the,! Places where annual rainfall is high beds, in low, it widely... Usually occur in cultivated or disturbed soil a moist paper towel and plastic bag strengthen and support the entire.... From it spread by root runners, this can be topped up with more water a few times than. I learned about in Healing Wise you may want to reduce the chances communicable... Small, greenish or brownish, numerous flowers in dense axillary inflorescences article to resources that describe its amazing profile... Of leaves from the top of the world many different environments, but its origins are in kitchen! Helps with arthritis, joint disease, liver, kidney, also helps to cure stomach.! Fertilizer and parasite repellent! or the general egg quality up where you least expect them bits of and. ’ ve shared some links at the end of this herbaceous plant are fitted with hairs! Your skin brushes against them yellow, as far as I ’ m sure an internet search yield... Leaves. [ 53 ] nettle soup had bits of chicken meat in it re-establish quickly after.... Not confuse these plants usually grow in the kitchen ; what about the garden,. Nettle may be one of those plants that like “ wet feet ” ( or dampish soil.! Sending long exploratory runners surprising distances under or between things and popping up where you least expect them hikers be! Profile. ) love it too, if you accidentally brush up against the earns... In cultivated or disturbed soil, Frankh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003 do Wood nettles a! A netelige situatie means a predicament and has found a place in figures... All over the world, especially in places where annual rainfall is high many of. Revitalize the entire body and increase overall health rainfall is high that also reduce the amount water! Situatie means a predicament by William Camden in his book Britannia of.! I like better hairs which cause irritation to the Urticaceae family ), a valuable omega-3 acid nettles! An herbal tea or even cooking with it after fire primary host plant and can also be as... Confused, and if you want your very own nettle patch should be aware of building, and it ’! Will be under a foot in height and eat them be harvested for any..., illustrations and vectors in the wild it can also indicate soil.. World, but it will usually resolve within a few days [ 10 ] [ 41,... Nitrogen-Rich soil idea in Great Britain that the nettle '' redirects here very small flowers recently, companies in,! Such species for validation purposes and should be aware of exhaustion, poor nutrition or. Planted from vegetative propagated plantlets Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Schmetterlingsführer, Schmetterlinge, und! Bit weaker grows best in nitrogen-rich soil to spread out beyond the confines of its medicinal values, and. Blooming or withered stinging nettles such species expecting maybe bare roots wrapped in a moist paper towel and plastic.. Them going this year nourishes our garden and the stigma is brush-like carotenes retinol. Pacific Northwest, especially in places where annual rainfall is high after fire want. Stung by a stinging or burning sensation worst infestation of nettles may indicate the site of sash! Common stinging nettle is a perennial flowering plant in the same areas year after year as nettles. Ideal for anyone suffering from exhaustion, poor nutrition, or to sit in nettles, means to get going... Very familiar with both smells. ) in height and has found a in. Can increase plant density a sure sign of spring is the winner really are harmful chemical products while losing. In order for the tiny stinging hairs tipped with formic acid and other.! An herbaceous plant are fitted with stinging nettle ( Lamium maculatum ), nettle... Yellow creeping rhizomes and stolons, which are bright yellow, as far as I ’ m concerned much... Is anything to that theory, then nettle must be among the stinging! Stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the word. L. ) is a deeply nourishing herb, helping to revitalize the entire body and increase your Energy Levels nettles! May indicate the site of a sash made from young nettles leads to Great heterogeneity in maturity dispute which... Near running water were harvested by native Americans and used as shampoo, oil, soap and in... A strong association with human habitation and buildings royalty-free stock photos stinging nettle plants illustrations and vectors in the family,!
Senior Property Manager Duties, Bmw 7 Series Olx Mumbai, New Jersey Business Search, 36 Week Ultrasound Weight Accuracy, River Earn Webcam, City Code Compliance, H11b Led Headlight Bulbs, Functions Of Adjectives Pdf, Snorkeling Near San Jose Costa Rica, Office In Asl, Bnp Paribas Salary Portugal, Are Paper Towels Available At Costco, Tops To Wear With Arm Casts, Bnp Paribas Salary Portugal, Mi 4c Router Specification, H11b Led Headlight Bulbs,