At this stage both the leaves and stems are tender and edible. Stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. [54] So What Is Stinging Nettle? Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) illustration. The other, U. dioic… Weigh them down with a stone and fill it up with water. Stinging Nettles Three species of stinging nettles grow in the American southwest. Nettles, Urtica spp. (NOTE: If you are not interested in growing Stinging Nettles, but just finding the plant and using it, try going to the Nature's Restaurant Online site Stinging Nettle page.). The name urticaria for hives comes from the Latin name of nettle (Urtica, from urere, to burn). The California Nettle or Stinging Nettle is a perennial plant that can grow anywhere from three to nine feet high, growing in stands connected by underground roots. You can either add some lime to the top of the soil each year before adding the mulch and manure/compost, or if you heat with wood, spread the wood ash around on the ground in the area where they grow in the winter when you empty your stove. About A very common plant, the stinging nettle can be found growing in gardens, hedgerows, fields, woodlands and many other habitats. Learn tips for growing, harvesting, and using nettle greens. The figure of speech "to grasp the nettle" probably originated from Aesop's fable "The Boy and the Nettle". This makes the plant spend less energy on seed production, and the next year you get a better crop. Close up of Stinging Nettle stem with stinging hairs visible. [73], Urtica is derived from a Latin word meaning 'sting'. [20] Dock leaves, which often grow in similar habitats, are regarded as a folk remedy to counteract the sting of a nettle,[21] although there is no evidence of any chemical effect. The roots are sometimes eaten by the larva of the ghost moth (Hepialus humuli). I have a bad knee, and all season long, once per week I take a stalk from one of these and whack it against my knee on all sides until I've used up all the stingers. Once you get these plants established, there is no need to ever till the soil around them. Nettle has high carotenoid contents, especially lutein, β-carotene and zeaxanthin, of which lutein and zeaxanthin act as yellow pigments. The plant can spread vegetatively with its yellow creeping rhizomes and often forms dense colonies. In fact, over the years, I have experimented with this and have found the older and bigger the clump of Stinging Nettles, the better the greens taste. [33] The leaves are also dried and may then be used to make a herbal tea, as can also be done with the nettle's flowers. Far too late for gathering leaves for food, but if you find some like this make note of the location, as there will be lots for picking next spring. Realize, you must use great care when raising and preparing it for use. Once planted, stinging nettles need to be cultivated to keep the plants under control, as they may become invasive if … If so, wait until that fall to adopt it and make it part of your home garden family. All this organic material helps keep the soil damper in the spring, and you will notice each perennial clump will get bigger and bushier each year. Heiko Bellmann: Der Neue Kosmos Schmetterlingsführer, Schmetterlinge, Raupen und Futterpflanzen, pg. [50] Fibre varieties are normally cloning varieties and therefore planted from vegetative propagated plantlets. They really show their appreciation for good treatment. It grows in abundance in the Pacific Northwest, especially in places where annual rainfall is high. There are many other varieties of nettle that you can grow, but stinging nettle is the most common. If you do live in an area with acidic soils, such as with conifer trees all around or blueberries growing in the area, the solution is quite simple. This is a plant that responds very well to nitrogen and overall nutrient levels in the soil. [53] Nettle contains much less carotenes and retinol than carrots, which contain 8.35 RE per g fresh weight. The presence of nettles may indicate the site of a long-abandoned building, and can also indicate soil fertility. Viburnums: Nannyberry, Highbush Cranberries & Others, GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2, Ecoagriculture or Eco friendly agriculture, Interactive USDA distribution map and plant profile, The Biota of North America Program (BONAP) distribution map. Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, has leaves and stems with tiny, hollow, tipped hairs. The stem is erect, square, and quite substantial, with tiny hairs all along the length, particularly on the corners. Leaves are pointed at the tips, with a heart-shaped base and indented veins. [40][41], Alcoholic beer can be made from young nettles. [36], Nettles are used in Albania as part of the dough filling for the börek. If you do it right, you will bend off the stinging hairs as you are grabbing without getting stung – in theory (laughing). More recently, companies in Austria, Germany, and Italy have started to produce commercial nettle textiles. I wish I could remember where I read this, but one writer said that if they did not sting they would have gone extinct long ago, as they are so good tasting, and so rich in nutrients, that animals would have grazed them to oblivion. In the fall, cut back all but the top 6 to 10 inches of growth, dig it up with plenty of soil, put in a plastic bag or bucket, and transplant to where you want it. An agent thus used was considered to be a rubefacient (something that causes redness), used as a folk remedy for treating rheumatism. Because they prefer nitrogen-rich, well-aerated soils, however, their favorite habitat is garden borders. New stinging nettle plants begin to grow in early spring and continue to flourish until the last frost of the year. Stinging nettle is a perennial herb that grows from two to six feet tall, depending on the soil conditions and weather. Table 2: Carotenoid concentration of leaves of U. dioica (μg/ g dry weight). Herbaceous with stinging and non-stinging hairs and with simple or branched stems that can grow to about nine feet high. [32] After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-setting stages, the leaves develop gritty particles called cystoliths, which can irritate the urinary tract. [42], As Old English stiðe, nettle is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in 10th century traditional medicine. [22], In Great Britain and Ireland, the stinging nettle (U. dioica subsp. Originally from Europe and Asia, this plant has sharp hairs that break easily and can irritate or sting when the plant is touched; however it is a vitamin-rich food source as well as a remedy for various medical conditions. After the harvest season, you don't have to do any maintenance, but you can do a couple of things. After fermenting it for 5-6 weeks the nettle … It bears small, greenish or brownish, numerous flowers in dense axillary inflorescences. The soft, green leaves are 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) long and are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem. Text Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 David G. Mills. The stingers that defend the plant. Under middle-European conditions, stems yield typically between 45 and 55 dt / ha (decitons per hectare), which is comparable to flax stem yield. This plant will reward your love with more and better tasting greens. [39], In the UK, an annual World Nettle Eating Championship draws thousands of people to Dorset, where competitors attempt to eat as much of the raw plant as possible. [37][38] Similarly, in Greece the tender leaves are often used, after simmering, as a filling for hortopita, which is similar to spanakopita, but with wild greens rather than spinach for filling. Cambridge University Press. [54] For exact fatty acid contents see Table 1. First year ones like this are not as good as the tops from mature rootstock. It contained various high value beads as well as fragments of a sash made from nettle fibre. After that, it should be fine on its own. It may be that the act of rubbing a dock leaf against a nettle sting acts as a distracting counterstimulation, or that belief in the dock's effect provides a placebo effect. Nettles are the larval food plant for several species of butterflies, such as the peacock butterfly,[14] comma (Polygonia c-album), and the small tortoiseshell. If you are, don't grow these plants. Mowing or weed-whacking won’t do the trick — in fact, these methods will likely make the stinging nettle grow back more densely. They can be used in soups, baked dishes, anything. It can grow up to 3 feet tall in moist, shady spots, in flood plains, woodlands and along streams and river banks. [53][57] Nettle contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid, vitamin K1[53] and tocopherols (vitamin E). Maintenance: Make sure the soil stays damp in the spring, up to when you are finished harvesting. They just snap off. A poultice was to treat eczema, burns, cuts, and hemorrhoids. Due to the variable fibre content, the fibre yields vary between 0.2 and 7 dt / ha, but the yields are normally in the range between 2 and 4 dt / ha. Now, discover why stinging nettles "sting". It is a heavy feeder needing a humus rich source of nitrogen so grows well in manured or fertilized soil. As mentioned above, the combination of wood ash (if you can get it) and manure makes them grow so thick and tall it is amazing. Top leaves picked from the Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) early in the season are my absolute favorite cooked green. According to the USDA's range map, it ( Urtica dioica ) has not been confirmed in Arkansas. "The Names of Plants". Young Stinging Nettle growing in with pink Impatiens in flower. Since nettles can grow up to 8 feet tall, going through a large patch of nettle can be a daunting prospect. Feeding nettle has no detrimental effect on the performance of the laying hens or the general egg quality. You can only take a few leaves on each one at a time, and unless you have a few, you won't get a lot. Once you have the seeds, just spread them in the area you want the nettles right after getting home with them, and lightly rake into the soil and tamp down gently, and put on a thin leaf mulch. The leaves and tops from the first year plants are not as good as from mature rootstock, so I'd pass on eating the leaves until the second year, and even those are not as good as from a plant that is many years old. Stinging Nettle in seed in my garden. The ads on the site help cover the cost of maintaining the site and keeping it available. Description. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'wildfoodshomegarden_com-box-2','ezslot_2',103,'0','0'])); Search Wild Foods Home Garden & Nature's Restaurant Websites: A beautiful crop of Stinging Nettles. Young plants were harvested by Native Americans and used as a cooked plant in spring when other food plants were scarce. L) Powder or Essential Oil", "Compost Teas vs Other Teas and Extracts", "Potential for Greenhouse Aeroponic Cultivation of Urtica Dioica", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Urtica_dioica&oldid=991655747, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from September 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2019, Articles with failed verification from March 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Growing seedlings: For this technique pre-germinated seeds are sown between mid-/end-February and beginning of April and grown in, This page was last edited on 1 December 2020, at 04:32. [57] The highest vitamin contents can be found in the leaves.[53]. But with the Stinging Nettle the pain is literal because its fine hairs, even only brushed lightly on bare skin bare skin, create the feeling akin to dozens of little syringes injecting fiery pain. Competitors are given 60 cm (24 in) stalks of the plant, from which they strip the leaves and eat them. Seeds: You can gather the tiny green/brown seeds from one in early fall just by tilting over a seed head on the plant into a jar or bag and rubbing it - there are no stingers on the ripe seed heads. The fibres are coarser, however. [52], Fresh leaves contain approximately 82.4% water, 17.6% dry matter, 5.5% protein, 0.7 to 3.3% fat, and 7.1% carbohydrates. This keeps the plants shorter, which means they are less likely to topple over later in the year - they can get very tall if left. They will turn brown when ready to harvest the seeds, usually mid September to mid October. Standard deviations are given in brackets. Wild Foods Home Garden Logo Copyright © 2017 David G. Mills. There is one odd, counter intuitive aspect to these greens: the greens from new, or first year plants don't taste very good. Using: The leaves must be cooked to destroy the stingers, but after that it is up to you. Top leaves picked from the Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) early in the season are my absolute favorite cooked green. In Europe, nettles have a strong association with human habitation and buildings. The cist dated from between 1730 and 1600 BC. Today, many people use it to treat urinary problems during the early stages of an enlarged prostate, for urinary tract infections, for hay fever, or in compresses or creams for treating joint pain, sprains and strains, tendonitis, and insect bites. For the Australian plant, see, Species of flowering plant in the family Urticaceae, Poultry: Egg yolk colouring in laying hens. It’s a relative of mint plants, so it shares the same invasive quality. This type of plant is referred to as nitrophilous. Just leave the cut off sections on the ground around them. Stinging nettle may seem like a risky herb to grow, but you can’t overlook its benefits. [34] Nettle soup is a common use of the plant, particularly in Northern and Eastern Europe. Touching any of these needles will inject you with the formic acid which causes an extremely painful burning sensation. [45], Nettle stems contain a bast fibre that has been traditionally used for the same purposes as linen and is produced by a similar retting process. The stinging nettle is the Red Admiral caterpillar's primary host plant and can attract migrating Red Admiral butterflies to a garden. After the seedlings are up a little or after you transplant, mulch around the area well. Two similar subspecies of stinging nettles are commonly found growing in North America. I have never tasted a cooked green – either wild or domestic – that I like better. The other thing you can do, is cut off the flower/seed heads as they form. [51], Nettles may be used as a dye-stuff, producing yellow from the roots, or yellowish green from the leaves. If you’re a gardener who enjoys raising non-traditional herbs in your garden, stinging nettle could still be your herb of choice. In fact, just as the presence of moss plants is an indicator of compacted soil, so the presence of stinging nettles signifies a fertile, loamy soil. [31] Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without injury. The way I like them best is a big plate of them lightly steamed and served with olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Does Stinging Nettle make your hair grow? Stinging Nettle (Urtica Dioica) - Stinging Nettle is found growing all across North America and especially in moist, forested soil. Stinging nettles are an herbaceous, fast growing plant with leaves as well as stems, which are covered with tiny, hollow silica tipped hairs and can grow to about 4 feet (1 m.) tall. In Hungarian, the idiom csalánba nem üt a mennykő, the thunderbolt does not strike into nettle, means bad people escape trouble or the devil looks after his own. [23] In Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, one of the characters quotes Aesop "Gently touch a nettle and it'll sting you for your pains/Grasp it as a lad of mettle and soft as silk remains". [68], The stinging nettle can also be grown in controlled-environment agriculture systems, such as soil-less medium cultivations or aeroponics, which may achieve higher yields, standardize quality, and reduce harvesting costs and contamination. If planted in a spot it likes, each clump of it will grow more stems each year. Fibrous stems of mature plants can be used to make twine, fishing nets, snares and o… It’s is native to most parts of the United States and Canada. The plant grows a large main stem and from that leaves grow in pairs opposite each other, making the plant seem somewhat four-sided. There is no particular zone in which it grows best, but this plant does not do well in desertlike conditions. If you want to grow some, these seed heads will provide hundreds of seeds. without written permission from the author. Growing stinging nettle from seeds: Nettle seeds are small (about the size of a pin head) and while the seeds germinate quickly, the plants take a while to grow when started indoors. Cover the barrel with a lid because this liquid will have a strong smell! For myself, I find I need at least six perennial clumps (individual plants) per person. Transplanting: The best way to get these is by transplanting. The metaphor may refer to the fact that if a nettle plant is grasped firmly rather than brushed against, it does not sting so readily, because the hairs are crushed down flat and do not penetrate the skin so easily.[24]. [57][58][59] Feeding as little as 6.25 g dry nettle per kg feed is as effective as the synthetic pigments to colour the egg yolk. The tastiest seem to grow in damp, rich soils by river banks as soon as you can get them. Synthetic herbicides are horrid for the health of your ecosystem and present a far greater risk to the health of your pets and children than stinging nettle does. Formerly, more species were recognised than are now accepted. Gledhill, David (2008). If you see the tiny flowers forming, you are too late for this year. I did that, and do they ever like it. If you do it this way, you will get a decent harvest the next spring from each one you plant. Since it does well in fertile but disturbed settings it is classed as a ruderal plant common to rural areas. However, at least six clear subspecies of U. dioica are described, some formerly classified as separate species: Other species' names formerly accepted as distinct by some authors but now regarded as synonyms of one or other subspecies include U. breweri, U. californica, U. cardiophylla, U. lyalli, U. major, U. procera, U. serra, U. strigosissima, U. trachycarpa, and U. viridis. U. dioica has a flavour similar to spinach mixed with cucumber when cooked, and is rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Leaves are about 2-5 inches long with jagged edges, found in opposing pairs along the upper half of the stalk. Stinging Nettles are full of nutrients. Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. You can also turn nettles into a liquid fertilizer by filling a barrel with the leaves and branches. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) grows abundantly throughout North America and temperate regions across the Northern Hemisphere.The stems and foliage are covered with brittle, needlelike hairs, called trichomes, no doubt an adaptation to deter herbivory. How to pick them: One way is to use gloves and a bag. Below is a map that shows where, throughout the world, stinging nettles have been found. Standard deviations are given in brackets. These are basically biological hypodermic needles. Seeds contain much more fatty acid than leaves.[54]. [12] Human and animal waste may be responsible for elevated levels of phosphate[13] and nitrogen in the soil, providing an ideal environment for nettles. Unlike cotton, nettles grow easily without pesticides. Stinging nettle is a large, rhizomatous perennial wild edible plant that can grow quite tall. It spreads by abundant seeds and also by rhizomes, and is often able to survive and re-establish quickly after fire. Stinging nettle has naturalized in nearly every state in the United States. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) originated in Europe but now grows on every continent but Antarctica , where-ever there is fertile, moist soil, and particularly where the soil has been disturbed. [citation needed], Nettles have a number of other uses in the vegetable garden, including the potential for encouraging beneficial insects. However, this plant is introduced from Europe, and does it not typically have stinging hairs like the true nettle. But seriously, be prepared to get stung unless you have the skill of a surgeon no matter how you do it. The leaves have a strongly serrated margin, a cordate base, and an acuminate tip with a terminal leaf tooth longer than adjacent laterals. I'm going to assume there's just no data as of yet, because I find it hard to believe nettle has dug in its heels everywhere except for Arkansas. Even if you transplant just one, you can get seeds from it next season and start many more. In the German language, the idiom sich in die Nesseln setzen, or to sit in nettles, means to get into trouble. [64][65] They are also one of the few plants that can tolerate, and flourish in, soils rich in poultry droppings. [54] Stinging nettle is an astonishing plant with a wealth of uses. And because of its diuretic and digestive properties, it is still popular today in the treatment of urinary tract infections. Our guide on how to forage for nettles in Britain, with a few key details regarding where it can be found, characteristics and recipe ideas, plus how to pick and cook nettles without getting stung. After the harvesting is over, you can cut back the plant by taking off about one third of the stalks with a pair of hedge clippers. This plant will grow in full sun and partial shade. It is possible that the sash was traded from mainland Europe, but perhaps more probable that it was locally made. The best thing you can do for it is dig in a layer of composted manure into the soil where you are going to seed or transplant to. dioica) is the only common stinging plant and has found a place in several figures of speech in the English language. What this translates to, is that if you want to grow really tasty Stinging Nettle greens, you need to find or make a location that is damp in the spring where the soil is very rich. If you don't have children or pets in the yard, this is a great plant to have for greens in the spring. Stinging nettles are known throughout the world as a very nutritious and highly medicinal plant though you must be careful when harvesting them. [25] The same idiom exists in the Serbian language - неће гром у коприве. Soil & Site: From my experience, the taste varies with location and time of year. In laying hens, nettle can be used as an egg yolk colorant instead of artificial pigments or other natural pigments (derived from marigold for yellow). [53] Mature leaves contain about 40% α- linolenic acid, a valuable omega-3 acid. Stinging Nettle Liquid Fertilizer. The European subspecies has been introduced into Australia, North America and South America.[10][11]. Once you get it established in a spot, it just produces year after year. [1][7], Urtica dioica is a dioecious, herbaceous, perennial plant, 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) tall in the summer and dying down to the ground in winter. 170, Frankh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2003. (By: kallerna GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2), (NOTE: If you are not interested in growing Stinging Nettles, but just finding the plant and using it, try going to the Nature's Restaurant Online site Stinging Nettle page.). Its preference for damp, fertile and disturbed ground makes it a good coloniser of places enriched by human activities, such as agriculture and development. Where Nettles Grow: The plants take advantage of disturbed soils, including areas along roadsides. It spreads from rhizomes, and it can be either erect or sprawling. The combination of wood ash and manure where they grow will make them grow so thick and tall you won't beleive it! Stinging nettle can greatly benefit your garden and the cannabis plants that grow in it. The competition dates back to 1986, when two neighbouring farmers attempted to settle a dispute about which had the worst infestation of nettles. This may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, [28] However, in 2011, an early Bronze Age burial cist on Whitehorse Hill,[29][30] Dartmoor, Devon was excavated. U. d. gracilis is the only perennial of the three. Even the new growth later in June just does not taste right, and can be stringy. By the way, each stinger is actually a natural hypodermic needle, and what it injects is anti-inflammatory (unless you are allergic to bee stings). Nettle was believed to be a galactagogue – a substance that promotes lactation. Nettle guide: where to find, how to pick safely and recipe ideas. It is less widespread in southern Europe and north Africa, where it is restricted by its need for moist soil, but is still common. The Grow Network now offers organic bulk herbs—including stinging nettle—in our store. [67], Three cultivation techniques can be used for the stinging nettle: 1) direct sowing, 2) growing seedlings in nurseries with subsequent transplantation and 3) vegetative propagation via stolons or head cuttings. Nice looking plant as well - but stingy. There is a bare handed technique for picking them. And for this very reason, it’s not liked by many, plus it has tiny spiky hair, and if you happen to touch them, they prick your skin and inject a dose of chemicals like histamine and formic acid. [15], Urtica dioica produces its inflammatory effect on skin (stinging, burning sensation often called "contact urticaria") both by impaling the skin via spicules – causing mechanical irritation – and by biochemical irritants, such as histamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, among other chemicals. Stinging nettle is an herbaceous plant and often grows to about 2 metres (6.5 feet) in height. This plant can be found growing in the short grass prairie in North America, but it is common all over the world. A distant mint relative, stinging nettles are equally invasive and need to be sternly managed . [66] U. dioica can be a troubling weed, and mowing can increase plant density. It is also eaten by the larvae of some moths including angle shades, buff ermine, dot moth, the flame, the gothic, grey chi, grey pug, lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing, mouse moth, setaceous Hebrew character, and small angle shades. This is best done in late fall - mid October to mid November. Formerly all stinging nettles were thought to be introduced European nettles. Impatiens flowers behind. Young plants were harvested by Native Americansand used as a cooked plant in spring when other food plants were scarce. Stinging Nettle has been used to treat a number of ailments such as arthritis, gout, anemia, joint and muscle pain. U. dioica has a flavour similar to spinach mixed with cucumber when cooked, and is rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Distribution map courtesy of U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA Natural Resources Service) and used in accordance with their policies. Nettle is of one of those plants that grow anywhere, you care for it or not, it doesn’t care but grows and grows and spreads its progeny far and wide. Nettles can be used in a variety of recipes, such as polenta, pesto, and purée. In Dutch, a netelige situatie means a predicament. So knowing this, don't even bother eating the greens from them the first year they come up if you do plant by seed. Some carotenes are precursors of vitamin A (retinol), their retinol equivalents RE or retinol activity equivalents per g dry weight are 1.33 for mature leaves and 0.9 for young leaves. [57], Ruminants avoid fresh stinging nettles, however if the nettles are wilted or dry, voluntary intake can be high. It seems the dryer the spot in the spring they are growing in and/or the later in the season, the poorer the taste. Nettles contain nitrogenous compounds, so are used as a compost activator[63] or can be used to make a liquid fertilizer, which although low in phosphate, is useful in supplying magnesium, sulphur, and iron. It is rich in antioxidants like carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamin C which help in protecting your hair from damaging free radicals which are harmful atoms that are produced in our body. It does well in low areas. As young plants, the leaves are eaten in salads, boiled as a vegetable or steeped to make a medicinal tea. This picture was taken in late summer. The soil should open, organically rich and loamy. The English word 'nettled', meaning irritated or angry, is derived from 'nettle'.[26]. However many of these plants, especially in natural areas, have been recognized as a native subspecies. Once the leaves start to yellow in the fall, you can use the pair of hedge clippers to cut them back to about 10 cm (4 inches) high, leaving the stalks on the ground and cover with a layer of composted manure, compost and/or mulch. The sentenced perpetrator of a crime was flogged with stinging nettle, in public, naked, whilst being showered with freezing cold water. It is only early-in-the-season greens from established plants that are good to eat. Makes a big difference for days. Nettles are sometimes used in cheesemaking, for example in the production of Cornish Yarg[35] and as a flavouring in varieties of Gouda. Because of this, whenever I have moved, I always hunt around for mature specimens to take home and plant. [27] The idea was mentioned by William Camden in his book Britannia of 1586. I have never tasted a cooked green – either wild or domestic – that I like better. Stinging plant § Plants with stinging hairs, "Identifying plant fibre textiles from Norwegian Merovingian Period and Viking Age graves: The Late Iron Age Collection of the University Museum of Bergen", "Mechanism of Action of Stinging Nettles", "U.K. Standards of care for occupational contact dermatitis and occupational contact urticaria", "Home remedies: dock leaves for nettle stings", "The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Æsop For Children, by Æsop", "Grasping the nettle: an empirical enquiry", "The cist on Whitehorse Hill - Current Archaeology", "Gouda Cheese with Stinging Nettles: Cooking Terms", World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship attracts record crowd, "Homebrew from the hedgerow: nettle beer", "Galactagogue herbs: a qualitative study and review", "Ecuador's indigenous justice system on trial", "Nettle as a distinct Bronze-Age textile plant", "Second skin: why wearing nettles is the next big thing", "10 Jahre anbautechnische Versuche zu Fasernesseln (Urtica dioica L.) in Thüringen", "Production and processing of organically grown fiber nettle (Urtica dioica L.) and its potential use in the natural textile industry: A review", "USDA National Nutrient Database: raw carrot", "Oxidative stability of the meat of broilers supplemented with rosemary leaves, rosehip fruits, chokeberry pomace, and entire nettle, and effects on performance and meat quality", "Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites, Antioxidant Stability and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler Chickens Fed Diets Containing Nettle (Urtica dioica. Direct seeding is possible, but leads to great heterogeneity in maturity. Research has shown that Nettle is a safe and natural way to prevent hair loss and promote sleek and healthy hair. You should get a lot of seeds quickly. All Drawings Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 David G. Mills except where noted. If you have experienced the pain of a Stinging Nettle plant, wisdom would tell you to avoid it. [53], Carotenoids can be found primarily in the leaves, where different forms of lutein, xanthophyll and carotene are present (Table 2). Whoever strips and eats the most stinging nettle leaves in a fixed time is the winner. There is variation in taste from different plants, so the first time you find one, take home some of the upper leaves, cook and see if they taste good. The toothed leaves are borne oppositely along the stem, and both the stems and leaves are covered with numerous stinging and non-stinging trichomes (plant hairs). Table 1: Fatty acid content of different plant organs of U. May/June is usually about the only time they are worth eating. gracilis, is a North American native. The stinging nettle is one of more than 50 varieties of nettle plants worldwide. If you want to be able to eat the greens from these in your garden the first year after you start growing them, you really do need to transplant a well established plant. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world. If you are older and have arthritis, the stings are good for you, and you will notice you feel better for a couple of days after getting a few stings. [67] Regular and persistent tilling will greatly reduce its numbers, and the use of herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosate are effective control measures. Don't over do it, but they can handle more alkaline (opposite of acidic) conditions than most plants and there is little that is more alkaline than wood ash. [3][4] The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact ("contact urticaria", a form of contact dermatitis). Harvesting: As soon as they are about 30 cm (1 foot) tall, begin harvesting the top 7.5 cm (3 inches) of greens. One, Urtica dioica ssp. That's it – you will have some in the spring. [5][6] The plant has a long history of use as a source for traditional medicine, food, tea, and textile raw material in ancient societies such as the Saxons. The taxonomy of Urtica species has been confused, and older sources are likely to use a variety of systematic names for these plants. [3] It has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons, which are bright yellow, as are the roots. [5] The term, contact urticaria, has a wider use in dermatology, involving dermatitis caused by various skin irritants and pathogens. If you do have children and/or pets and you still want to grow it, I strongly suggest growing it in a fenced in area. (By: Randy A. Nonenmacher CC BY-SA 3.0). Hemp nettle, in some areas, can be easily confused with stinging nettle because it often grows in the same conditions, and is found in very similar locations as stinging nettle. Stinging nettle will grow in dense clusters, and stalks can reach 5-8 feet at maturity. Stinging nettle is particularly found as an understory plant in wetter environments, but it is also found in meadows. Is the growing of this plant compatible with Natural farming, Ecoagriculture or Eco friendly agriculture, Ecological farming, Sustainable agriculture, Agroforestry or Agro-sylviculture and Permaculture: This long lived perenial root system is ideal for Natural farming or no-till garden methods. In French, the idiom faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties (don't push grandma in the nettles) means that we should be careful not to abuse a situation. [5][16][17][18][19] Anti-itch drugs, usually in the form of creams containing antihistamines or hydrocortisone, may provide relief from nettle dermatitis. [47] German Army uniforms were almost all made from nettle during World War I due to a potential shortage of cotton. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) are one of more than 50 varieties of nettle plants worldwide. [61][62][failed verification]. There is a common idea in Great Britain that the nettle was introduced by the Romans. [31] In its peak season, nettle contains up to 25% protein, dry weight, which is high for a leafy green vegetable. [74], "Stinging nettle" redirects here. I find it common for Stinging Nettles to come up in bagged potting soil – this is the case here. Read more on Gardener's Path. It can grow in a wide range of soil pH - from 5.0 to 8.0, so rarely that is a problem. Since nettles prefer to grow in phosphorus-rich and nitrogen rich soils that have recently been disturbed (and thus aerated), the growth of nettles is an indicator that an area has high fertility (especially phosphate and nitrate), and thus is an indicator to gardeners as to the quality of the soil. Click here to get yours! [56] Depending on the batch and the leave and stem content, nettle contains only traces of zeaxanthin or between 20 – 60 mg / kg of dry matter. Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without injury. The stem and leaves are covered with tiny hollow needles filled with formic acid. Shakespeare's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" (Henry IV, part 1, Act II Scene 3). Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) range. The season is very short, so you need a few plants to make up for that. Chances are the species has already made a home of unused areas of your garden, where it … The flowers of the stinging nettle bloom between June and September. [48][49], The fibre content in nettle shows a high variability and reaches from below 1% to 17%. Minerals (Ca, K, Mg, P, Si, S, Cl) and trace elements (Ti, 80 ppm,[55] Mn, Cu, Fe) contents depend mostly on the soil and the season. The leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging hairs, and in most subspecies, also bear many stinging hairs (trichomes or spicules), whose tips come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that can inject several chemicals causing a painful sting or paresthesia, giving the species its common names: stinging nettle, burn nettle, burn weed, or burn hazel.[3][5][4]. All Photographs Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 David G. Mills except where noted.*. Stinging nettle can be found growing in Europe and the United States. Stinging nettle is not very picky about where it grows; in fact, it is found all over North America, Europe and even parts of South America, Asia and Africa. Stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. Don't worry about the stings unless you are one of the people allergic to bee stings. [46], Historically, nettles have been used to make clothing for almost 3,000 years, as ancient nettle textiles from the Bronze Age have been found in Denmark. There are many other varieties of nettle that you can grow, but stinging nettle is the most common. [1] It is abundant in northern Europe and much of Asia, usually found in the countryside. The stingers face slightly upwards, so move upwards with your thumb and forefinger as you are about to grab the stem. After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-setting stages, the leaves develop gritty particles … [44], In indigenous justice systems in Ecuador, urtication was used as punishment for severe crimes in 2010. Dried nettles are 25.2% protein, 2.3% fat, and have only 0.6 calories per gram. Urtica dioica is considered to be native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa. (By: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany). In North America, it is widely distributed in Canada and the United States, where it is found in every province and state except for Hawaii, and also can be found in northernmost Mexico. Although nutritious, it is not widely eaten by either wildlife or livestock, presumably because of the sting. The top baby leaves are selected and simmered, then mixed with other ingredients such as herbs and rice, before being used as a filling between dough layers. However, I wanted the information to available to everyone free of charge, so I made this website. [43] Urtication, or flogging with nettles is the process of deliberately applying stinging nettles to the skin to provoke inflammation. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa,[1] it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand[2] and North America. Originally the content in this site was a book that was sold through Amazon worldwide. Root growth is limited by organic nitrogen and water table height. dioica. [74], Dioica is derived from Greek, meaning 'of two houses' (having separate staminate and pistillate plants; dioecious). are herbaceous, fast-growing plants native to the U.S. and Europe.Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, has leaves and stems with tiny, hollow, tipped hairs.It’s is native to most parts of the United States and Canada. May seem like a risky herb to grow in pairs opposite each,... And South America. 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Produces year after year on the corners around the area well stingers face slightly upwards, rarely... Are not as good as the tops from mature rootstock along roadsides - October... It seems the dryer the spot in the spring, up to when you are too late this... Been used to treat eczema, burns, cuts, and Italy have started to produce commercial nettle textiles early-in-the-season. Until the last frost of the plant seem somewhat four-sided you do n't have to any. The laying hens spreads by abundant seeds and also by rhizomes, and can be in... From established plants that grow in early spring and continue to flourish until the frost... Grow: the leaves are about to grab the stem and leaves are covered with tiny hollow... [ 73 ], Urtica is derived from a Latin word meaning '! As fragments of a crime was flogged with stinging nettle, Urtica derived! Stuttgart 2003 the later in June just does not taste right, and can attract Red. 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