Stinging Nettles

Stinging Nettles – Urtica dioica

Nettles are an old and generous plant, used for centuries as food, medicine, fiber, dye, animal fodder, and fertilizer. In the Pacific Northwest, their many uses are recorded among the Makah, Heshquiaht and other Nuu-chah-nulth communities, the Ditidaht, the Kwakwaka’wakw, and Coast Salish peoples. The strong stem fibers were dried, peeled, and made into string, rope, fishing and bird nets, baskets, and other useful things. The young shoots were cooked as spring greens, while the leaves, roots, and even the sting itself had medicinal and ceremonial uses. These are living traditions reaching back long before written records. Washington Native Plant Society, Native American Ethnobotany Database

The young leaves are a mineral-rich spring food, traditionally cooked like spinach or dried for tea. Cooking, drying, or thoroughly crushing the leaves removes the sting. I love them steamed or sautéed, with a little vinegar.

Nettle leaf is traditionally used as a nourishing tonic and gentle diuretic, and to support the joints, urinary tract, skin, and seasonal respiratory health. The root has its own medicinal history, particularly in preparations for the prostate and urinary system. There is also the old practice of urtication—deliberately brushing sore or arthritic joints with fresh nettles to stimulate circulation. It sounds severe, but people have been doing it for a very long time. Modern European herbal monographs recognize traditional nettle preparations for minor urinary complaints and joint pain. American Botanical Council, European Medicines Agency

In the garden, nettles prefer rich, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. They grow well in full sun or partial shade, but need consistent moisture during dry weather. Plants commonly reach 3–6 feet tall and spread by both seed and underground rhizomes. Give them a place where they can form a patch, or grow them in a large container if you do not want them wandering. Cutting the tops regularly provides repeated harvests of tender growth and helps keep the patch manageable.

The harvested tops are also excellent for the compost pile or can be soaked in water to make a strong liquid fertilizer for the garden. Wear gloves while harvesting.

Herbaceous perennial. Hardy in USDA Zones 4–10.