Nettles, Urtica dioica, also known as Stinging Nettles, is one of my absolute favorite plants, and one of the ones I worked with first in my early years of studying herbalism.
There isn’t enough amazing things and gratitude I can give to this plant that is the forever giver of nutrition and health. Nettles is the ultimate Earth giving plant of nourishment. She is the grandmother of the Earth that wraps you in a blanket and covers you in deep nourishing love. Let’s explore how amazing she is. (Note, I find most plants have a specific gender personality that relates to them. Sometimes they encompass more than one, sometimes none. Whatever I refer to them by is what I tend to receive from the plant as it’s energy. You may feel it’s different for you and that’s the beauty of life.)
The name Stinging Nettles brings up a sense of dread or disdain sometimes in people that have been exposed to this plant in the past. They may have experienced the harsher side, the prickly side of Nettles. It’s definitely true, you will be stung and feel a slight amount of pain if you don’t work with Nettles with gloves or in a gentle way. As you can see in the picture below there are tiny hairs that are on the leaves and stem. These hairs contain formic acid and histamine which cause a stinging sensation and swelling of the skin wherever it brushes the plant. The sensation doesn’t last long, it’s not like getting stung by an insect, but it can be annoying and slightly painful. For people that suffer from arthritis this can actually be used intentionally as the sting brings blood flow to the area which can relieve pain. The sting from Nettles is similar to acupuncture helping to move the energy that is blocked.
Besides the hairs, Nettles can be distinguished by it’s square stem, opposite ovate leaves, and toothed/serrated edges. It often has a purplish color when it’s young. She is one of the earliest Spring greens to show up and is amazing food to cook with or consume in tea or tincture form. The leaves are the part we mainly use and once cooked or dried, the stinging action is neutralized.
As the season goes on tiny green pearl like flowers appear. When the flowers appear we no longer harvest the leaves as the leaves can be more irritating to the liver and kidneys. The seeds that later appear after the flowers however are amazing medicine for nourishing the kidneys.
My favorite way to work with Nettles is to make a strong tea, or nourishing infusion, with the leaves. I use roughly a 1/2 of a cup dried leaves per quart of water, pouring boiling water over the leaves. Let this sit overnight, or at least 4 hours, and drink throughout the day. The taste is very Earthy, green tasting. Some like to add a little salt, some like to drink it warm, and some prefer it iced. If the taste is too much you can dilute it with water. Some days your body many want it strong, others a weak tea may be all your body wants. Try to listen to what your body needs and work with that dose.
Now for the good stuff. What is so amazing about Nettles? In simplest form, Nettles is like a multivitamin. It is rich in vitamins and minerals including iron and calcium and it works wonders in restoring health and vitality. It’s amazing for male and female reproductive health, respiratory and urinary tract concerns, immune health, and allergy relief. Nettles is very nourishing to our vital energy and increases your qi force by strengthening the kidneys and adrenal glands. It’s basically food for all of our cells.
Nettles is also great for the skin and hair and works wonders to help regrow hair. Consuming a daily infusion helps with this aspect, in addition to using it as a rinse after washing your hair.
Herbalist Susun Weed calls Nettles infusion the blood of the Earth and says Nettles is the best for energy as its the energy of the Earth as it builds your energy from the inside out as it repairs, nourishes and rebuilds the kidneys and adrenals. Amazing stuff. I add Nettles to almost every client’s formulas as we are all depleted in some way or another and can use some deep nourishment and support throughout our body.
The one thing to note about Nettles is it can be very drying in the body. So if you’re someone who tends to be dry to begin with it’s important to add herbs that are the opposite and are moisture rich. Herbs like Marshmallow, Oats, or Linden are some of my favorite additions to balance out the dry energy of Nettles in your body.
Nettles is a delicious cooked green. It cooks up a little like chard or spinach. Below is how I usually cook Nettles.
Sautéed Nettles Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Couple handfuls of fresh Nettles (about 2 cups chopped)
- Coconut oil or other cooking oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- Lemon
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 raw cashews (optional)
- Add coconut oil to a cast iron or similar pan and melt on medium low.
- Chop up a couple handfuls of fresh Nettles and the garlic and add to the melted oil.
- Sauté for a few minutes until it begins to wilt and turn bright green, about 3-4 minutes.
- Then add a little lemon juice on top at the end to help the vitamins be more bioavailable.
- Add a dash of salt to taste.
- You can garnish with some grated cashews for a slight hint of cheese flavor.
- Enjoy the nourishment of the Earth!
I would love to hear how you enjoy Nettles and how you work with this amazing plant!
