The name nettle is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for needle. A nod to the plant’s needle like stinging hairs. In fact, many of the common names given to this plant throughout the world are a reflection of this defining characteristic. Have you ever been stung by the needles of nettles?? It stings for sure, even more so if you’re caught by surprise.

Stinging nettle was the first plant to really draw me into foraging for wild plants. I had been seeing her about town for years and finally she called me in to make use of her offerings. I love eating nettle leaves in a soup or drinking them as tea. Nettle is chock full of nutrients and contains one of the highest levels of protein in a plant. Nettle is also an amazing adrenal support which I make good use of when I take my every so often, much needed breaks from coffee.

And believe me, I’m not the first. Humans across the world have been taking advantage of nettle’s offerings for millenia. And not just in the kitchen. Nettle fiber has been woven into clothing, nets, rope and twine. The plant has also been used to make a green dye and make paper! In Denmark, burial shrouds that date back to the Bronze Age (3000 - 2000 BCE) were found made of nettle fiber! There are over 200 documented uses of nettle by Native tribes across America and nettle was considered one of the nine sacred herbs by the Anglo Saxons. Nettle is native to North America, Northern Africa, Europe and Asia and has been in continuous relationship with the folks of those lands. It has spread farther throughout the temperate climes of the world and where nettle landed people took notice.

Stinging nettle is often found in clumps thanks to its rhizomatous root system. Nettle prefers moist, fertile soil but is a tough plant and can survive in conditions of drought and low nutrient soil. I’ve mostly found nettles in floodplains and drainage ditches. The flowers are wind pollinated and newly formed seeds spread to become the starts of fresh clumps. Humans are not the only beings to enjoy stinging nettle. The larval stage (caterpillars) of a few species of butterflies, including: Painted Lady, and Peacock butterfly, enjoy the foliage and birds feast on the seeds in late summer and fall.

Visiting Stinging Nettle is like visiting an old friend. I can sense the rich history between our ancestors and nettle and the wisdom that they have passed on to us today.