Medicinal Herbs: Stinging Nettle

It might be difficult to think of an herb as "medicinal" when it has the word "stinging" in its name, yet stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has been used as such since at least the time of the ancient Romans. Roman soldiers would slap their legs with stalks of stinging nettle to stimulate the circulation and counteract the numbness caused by the cold in Great Britain during their invasion of that country. Over the centuries, herbalists have found other uses for this hardy perennial herb.

Stinging nettle grows in a single stalk 3-6-feet tall. It tends to grow in clusters, though, giving it a bush-like appearance. The leaves are a dull, dark-green. (You might actually mistake it at first for some type of mint.) The leaves and stems are covered with tiny, hollow hairs that contain formic acid, acetylcholine, and histamine. Combined, these cause the sting and pain experienced when you accidentally brush up against the plant. The little hairs break off into your skin, injecting their venom and causing pain. (Oddly enough, you can use the juice from the stinging nettle plant itself to counteract the pain and sting that it causes. You can also use a dock plant for the same purpose.)

Despite the pain caused by this plant, stinging nettle was used often used to make cloth. Remnants of fabric made from the herb have even been found in Bronze Age graves. In addition, stinging nettle was used to make cloth during World War I when cotton was scarce. (The fabric is coarse and similar to hemp.)

Stinging nettle is high in vitamin C and iron, which probably explains why it has often been used as a tonic to cleanse the system. Nettle looses its sting when boiled or dried, making stinging nettle tea a popular herbal remedy for such things as the pain caused by rheumatism, arthritis, or gout. This same tea is also used to treat asthma. Traditionally, stinging nettle was used to stimulate hair growth, too. (I really would not recommend this, however. You are apparently expected to apply fresh nettle to your head. Use it in an herbal bath instead.)

Since stinging nettle is so full of vitamins, it can also be a part of a healthy diet. The very young shoots have not developed the little stinging hairs yet and can, therefore, be used fresh in salads. You can cook the more mature leaves just as you would other greens, such as spinach.

Stinging nettle can be grown easily from seed. Plant in rich, moist soil in full sun to partial shade. Be sure to wear protective clothing when harvesting and/or working around it. Also, use some of it to make compost tea for a nitrogen-rich fertilizer for your plants.

For information on some other medicinal herbs, read some of my other articles on:
Calendula
Cloves
Dill

References:
Anna Kruger. An Illustrated Guide to Herbs, Their Medicine and Magic. Surrey, Great Britain: Dragon's World Ltd., 1993.

Clair Kowalchik and William H. Hylton, eds. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1998.