Stinging Nettle
Urtica dioica

A most beneficial plant, nettle is full of minerals and worth the search in the early spring for a taste. Steam and flavour with lemon juice and a bit of olive oil. The plant loses its sting when dried or cooked.

The stalks of nettle were used like flax to weave a strong cloth. Wilted nettle is said to improve milk production in cows. Powdered nettle added to poultry feed is also said to improve egg production. Nettle attracts butterflies and is the sole food for the peacock and tortoiseshell butterflies.

Nettles like to grow in moist soil so search for them near streams, rivers and lakes. Harvest nettles with gloves on to avoid the sting, although some believe the sting can alleviate arthritis. Yellow Dock often grows nearby and can be rubbed on to soothe the irritation.

Nettle tea makes a useful natural fertilizer. Try growing a patch of nettle in the wild corner of your garden. Feed to your compost to enrich it. Soaked in water for a few days and then diluted and sprayed on plants in need of a boost, it will strengthen the plant by adding its minerals to the soil. A little watered around tomato plants will do the trick. High in vitamin C, chlorophyll, iron and calcium, nettle will give a boost to anemic plants. We use nettle in our ‘Green Wisdom Herbal Plant Food’.

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