Stinging Nettle
Appearance and Location
Stinging Nettle, also known as “greater nettle” or “common nettle, is a sprawling, “weedy” plant with 46 species in the Urtica genus. This perennial broadleaf herb is often found growing in dense colonies up to 4-8ft tall. Stinging Nettle is typically native to Europe and Eurasia, but can also be found growing wild throughout temperate parts of the world. You can commonly find it growing near streams, and along trails; it’s especially common around old farm sites. The most common type of Stinging Nettle used medicinally is known as Urtica dioica.
The genus “Urtica” derives from the Latin word “uro” (to burn) and “urere” (to sting). Part of the common name, “nettle,” stems from the Anglo-Saxon word for “needle.” Stinging Nettle is a very misunderstood herb, known to have fine hairs on the leaves and stems that contain irritating chemicals. These chemicals are released when the plant comes in contact with the skin. Similarly, the hairs, or spines, of the stinging nettle are very painful to the touch. However, when they come into contact with a painful area of the body, they can actually assist in decreasing the original pain. It’s thought to do this by helping to reduce the inflammatory chemicals in the body and interfering with the way the body transmits pain signals.
Functions and Properties Throughout History
Stinging Nettle has been recorded to be used as far back as in the Bronze Age. It has been used for hundreds of years to treat a variety of medical conditions throughout history. However, stinging nettle has also been used over the years as a source of bast fibers for textiles, is sometimes used in cosmetics, and even harvested for culinary purposes.
Early Europeans and indigenous Americans often used the strong fibers of Stinging Nettle to make sailcloth, sackcloth, cordage/rope, and fishing nets. It was also often used as a common household textile in Scottish households during the 16th and 17th centuries. Similarly, during the First and Second World Wars, Nettle fiber was used as a substitute for cotton yarns when this material was unavailable.
On the other hand during both World Wars, Stinging Nettle was used in periods of food shortage (fresh, dried, milled, or as silage) for feeding poultry, cattle, horses, and pigs. Today it’s still recognized as a common wild edible plant in many parts of the world. It’s often used in soups, curries, or in general as a cooked vegetable.
Stinging Nettle leaves have been used traditionally over the year to treat scurvy, anemia, arthritis, seasonal allergies, wound healing, general fatigue, as a diuretic, and to help stimulate pancreatic secretion. Hippocrates and other early Greek physicians used Nettle for more than 60 ailments. In Ancient Egypt, Nettle infusions were reported to be used to help relieve arthritis and lower back pain, while Roman troops rubbed it on themselves to help stay warm. The 16th-century herbalist John Gerard even used Nettle leaf as an antidote for poison. Made as a tea, Stinging Nettle has been used historically as a cleansing spring tonic and blood purifier. The juice from the leaves has also been used as a hair rinse to control dandruff and stimulate hair growth; it’s actually a functional ingredient in modern European hair-care formulations.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Resources:
Mount Sinai | WebMD | Britannica | Healthline | UC IPM | Herbalgram | DEC NY | Gaia Herbs
Appearance and Location
Appearance and Location
Stinging Nettle, also known as “greater nettle” or “common nettle, is a sprawling, “weedy” plant with 46 species in the Urtica genus. This perennial broadleaf herb is often found growing in dense colonies up to 4-8ft tall. Stinging Nettle is typically native to Europe and Eurasia, but can also be found growing wild throughout temperate parts of the world. You can commonly find it growing near streams, and along trails; it’s especially common around old farm sites. The most common type of Stinging Nettle used medicinally is known as Urtica dioica.
The genus “Urtica” derives from the Latin word “uro” (to burn) and “urere” (to sting). Part of the common name, “nettle,” stems from the Anglo-Saxon word for “needle.” Stinging Nettle is a very misunderstood herb, known to have fine hairs on the leaves and stems that contain irritating chemicals. These chemicals are released when the plant comes in contact with the skin. Similarly, the hairs, or spines, of the stinging nettle are very painful to the touch. However, when they come into contact with a painful area of the body, they can actually assist in decreasing the original pain. It’s thought to do this by helping to reduce the inflammatory chemicals in the body and interfering with the way the body transmits pain signals.
Functions and Properties
Throughout History
Functions and Properties Throughout History
Stinging Nettle has been recorded to be used as far back as in the Bronze Age. It has been used for hundreds of years to treat a variety of medical conditions throughout history. However, stinging nettle has also been used over the years as a source of bast fibers for textiles, is sometimes used in cosmetics, and even harvested for culinary purposes.
Early Europeans and indigenous Americans often used the strong fibers of Stinging Nettle to make sailcloth, sackcloth, cordage/rope, and fishing nets. It was also often used as a common household textile in Scottish households during the 16th and 17th centuries. Similarly, during the First and Second World Wars, Nettle fiber was used as a substitute for cotton yarns when this material was unavailable.
On the other hand during both World Wars, Stinging Nettle was used in periods of food shortage (fresh, dried, milled, or as silage) for feeding poultry, cattle, horses, and pigs. Today it’s still recognized as a common wild edible plant in many parts of the world. It’s often used in soups, curries, or in general as a cooked vegetable.
Stinging Nettle leaves have been used traditionally over the year to treat scurvy, anemia, arthritis, seasonal allergies, wound healing, general fatigue, as a diuretic, and to help stimulate pancreatic secretion. Hippocrates and other early Greek physicians used Nettle for more than 60 ailments. In Ancient Egypt, Nettle infusions were reported to be used to help relieve arthritis and lower back pain, while Roman troops rubbed it on themselves to help stay warm. The 16th-century herbalist John Gerard even used Nettle leaf as an antidote for poison. Made as a tea, Stinging Nettle has been used historically as a cleansing spring tonic and blood purifier. The juice from the leaves has also been used as a hair rinse to control dandruff and stimulate hair growth; it’s actually a functional ingredient in modern European hair-care formulations.
Remember to join us each month as we explore the history, personality, clinical application, and more of Nancy’s favorite plants. Get a snippet of the properties and practical uses of these herbs and how they supported the health of our ancestors as well as how they can support us in our present day.
Resources:
Mount Sinai | WebMD | Britannica | Healthline | UC IPM | Herbalgram | DEC NY | Gaia Herbs