Urtica dioica
THIS WEEK WE’RE TALKING ABOUT MY FAVORITE HERB! Urtica dioica, Stinging Nettle, is by far my favorite herbal ally. I know what you're thinking—“Nettle? You mean that plant that leaves me rashy and itchy?” Yes, my friend, that one exactly.
I met Nettle for the first time in southern Hungary, two summers ago. My partner Pat, a couple friends and I were commuting by bus and missed our stop.To try to save time we cut through a grassy field. It turns out that the ‘grass’ was exclusively nettles, (for the full story, head over to my blog)!
Nettles are nutritive, alterative, diuretic and anti-inflammatory. They are high in vitamins and minerals including A, B1, B2, C, K, copper, manganese, potassium and calcium. They serve as a tonic for the liver, help treat symptoms of asthma, hay fever and anemia. They help ease menstrual cramps and slow a heavy period. They’ve been shown to be beneficial during pregnancy and labor, easing pain and helping with lactation. They’ve also been shown to help guard against excess bleeding post labor. They help improve hair and nail strength, and make for a damn tasty stir-fry green.
Nettles are visually innocuous, however, if not given proper attention, it will quickly make itself known. It grows wild across the US, Canada, temperate Asia, North Africa, Europe and pretty much wherever it can find fertile, wet soil and can easily be propagated in the garden. Nettle typically grows between three and seven feet tall in the wild and one to three in the garden, with heart-shaped, dentate leaves growing opposite from the stem on small petioles. The seeds and flowers look like small strings of pearls that grow from nodes along the stem.
Urtica has been in use by herbalists and healers as medicine since around 2,000 BCE and even longer as fiber for cloth. They appear in many myths, legends and fairytales and can be found all throughout the Harry Potter series. They are used as food, wine and beer. Nettle can be found growing world-wide and is native to North Africa, North America, Asia and Europe. Their uses are seemingly endless!
If you've ever been stung by nettle, you know that they are covered in little tiny hairs. These ‘hairs’ are actually teeny, tiny hypodermic (hollow) needles. The stinging action in nettles comes from a combination of acids contained in the nettle hairs. This includes oxalic acid and tartaric acid as well as formic, malic and acetic acids. Nettles, can be intimidating to people because of their sting. I noticed in my classes and during time on various farms, people are really hesitant to touch fresh nettle. While uncomfortable, Nettle is an amazing healer.
Here are few things to keep in mind about nettles: Firstly, while they contain the same acid as in bee and wasp stings, nettles contain plant, rather than more potentially-allergenic animal protein structures. While bee allergies are fairly common, because of this difference in protein structure, it’s highly unlikely that someone would be allergic to nettle stings.
Urtication, stinging oneself with Nettle, dates back over 2,000 years as a cure for arthritic joints. By flogging themselves with fresh nettle stems, people purposefully introduce formic acid into achy joints. It’s been shown that this practice reduces inflammation, helps with pain and increases mobility in the arthritic area. Personally, after having foot surgery, I found urtication to significantly help the mobility in my joints. I’m not saying it’s a pleasant thing to do, but, after the stinging subsided, there was a notable difference in how my foot felt. If you’re considering trying urtication, test a small area of skin before jumping in.
Secondly, nettles, while bothersome are not exactly painful. They cause a warm, itchy sensation that’s often accompanied by small red welts. These symptoms usually subside within 10-15 minutes. Once the discomfort dissipates, people often experience a ‘buzzing’ or warm feeling in the area that was stung. Personally, I found it to be enjoyable. It felt like there was strong, magic energy running through my hands after picking nettle, like the power of the plant had transferred itself into my veins.
Lastly, nettles are an awesome food source because of their high vitamin and mineral content. Wilt, boil, bake or stir fry your nettles and eat them! I like them with butter and lemon. In their simplest form nettles are used to make tea, soup, beer and wine. It can be powdered and added to your morning shake or to your hot chocolate.
To me, Nettles are magic.
Nettle forces us to pay attention. I imagine nettle to be like a stern mother. She is nurturing and caring, but will absolutely call you out on your bull shit when you need it. She says, “Hey! Watch what you’re doing, and stop crashing around aimlessly.” I know what it’s like to feel stuck, like you’re always going to be sick, or sad, or lost. “To nettle,” as a verb, means to annoy or make uncomfortable for a short amount of time. Sometimes it takes being uncomfortable to find healing. It may sound silly but, I know you could use more nettle in your life. Where do you need to draw in discomfort so that you can grow? Nettle teaches us that there is joy in the discomfort, that there is hope in the darkness, that there is healing in the sting.
