Stinging Nettle

Nettle is a beautiful green perennial. Its opposite leaves are oblong, dark green on top and lighter green underneath. They have a pointed tip and sharply serrated margins. I took the picture below in early spring when the nettle was just starting to come up. Nettle loves damp, nutrient rich soils and can spread. Our previous owners had horses and had a manure pile mixed in with dirt in our back pasture and there is a TON of nettle growing around the pile! It has tiny little fuzzy hairs, which is why you should wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting. These little hair like needles are found around the stem and leaves. These hollow hairs are filled with formic acid, which is released when you become in contact with the skin. Giving them the name stinging nettle. Nettle is a herb that can be a food and a medicine. If offers many nutrients such as vitamin c and a, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, cobalt, copper and potassium. Nettle can be a diuretic, nettle is also very drying and may not be for everyone with a dry constitution. Ive spoke with some people and either they love nettle or they don't. I enjoy nettle as a tea and also enjoy eating it like spinach. To harvest nettle leaves you need to wear gloves and long sleeves. Make sure you are harvesting at LEAST 50 feet from any areas which are being sprayed by chemicals (fields, pastures lawns etc..) First, I like to say a little "thank you" to our creator for giving us these wonderful medicinal plants. Next, harvest the top few inches of leaves before the plant goes to flower and then goes to seed. Make sure you don't take all the new growth on top so the plant can go to seed. There are several different ways to use nettle. If you are going to eat/drink them, they MUST be cooked or dried PRIOR to eating/drinking. Think of nettle where you might use spinach. Maybe dried and powdered for a smoothie? tincture? tea? Do your own research and find if this herb is right for you. Happy Harvesting!