Nettle (Urtica dioica) is named from the Latin word “uro” meaning “to burn”. Named such for the stinging effect the plant can have on those who handle them. Nettles have tiny, hollow hairlike spikes called trichomes that contain chemicals on their leaves and stem that can cause redness, swelling, and/or itching upon contact.

Native to: Europe, northern Africa, and Asia. 

Modern distribution: Grows worldwide. 

Common Names: Common nettle, stinging nettle, burn weed, burn nettle, stinger, hokey pokey, jinny nettle.   

Parts used – active compounds : All parts of the nettle plant can be used in herbal medicine including the root as well as the leafy tops, often called “spring tops”, as they are harvested when young and tender. Nettles are rich in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidant polyphenols. 

Main Therapeutic Uses

 Seasonal Allergies 

Allergic rhinitis is a common inflammatory condition in the nasal passages. Nettle has been shown in clinical studies to help relieve symptoms associated with seasonal and environmental allergens, including redness, runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes. It also has the benefit of being without common side effects that can occur from the use of over-the-counter allergy medications.

Prostate Health 

Research has shown that phytosterols, lignans and polysaccharides in nettle have a positive effect on prostate health and can help relieve symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BHP), including frequent urination and inflammation.

Nutritive Tonic 

Nettle leaves are a potent source of nutrients, including valuable minerals. Nettle preparations have been used traditionally as nourishing tonics that can also help to relieve aches and pains.

Nettle at St. Francis 

From Deedee – St. Francis Farm Manager 

“Nettles are the ‘porcupines of the garden’– and start popping up in the early spring”. 

“Oh, they act so tough with their vicious stingers, but that’s just to protect their easily damaged bodies! Otherwise, they would be munched into extinction by every fawn, goose and hare due to their delicious taste and highly nutritive qualities.  

On the farm, nettles are used in fermented herbal emulsions to activate our soil and compost with enzymes and micro floras and as a foliar spray for quick nutrition and microbial defence.   

For certain, harvesting spring nettle tops is a delicate process – both to avoid their sting and to keep them in pristine condition for drying. Any damage – even the slightest pressure or bruising – diminishes the quality during drying.   

When the aerial parts of the plant are dormant, the medicinal qualities of nettles are concentrated in the roots. For this reason, we harvest vibrant nettle roots in early spring or late autumn.” 

Fun fact! Nettles are very nutritious – and their “sting” can be removed by soaking the plants in water or cooking them. However – there is an annual World Nettle Eating Championship held each year in the UK where competitors strip and eat raw nettle leaves, and the person left with the greatest length of stripped stems wins! 

Folklore and symbolism: Nettle fibers have been found in burial cloths dating to the Bronze age and has been associated with the threshold between life and the afterlife. It has also been used for protection, to increase fertility, protect livestock and bring on rainfall. 

In Irish lore, the stinging hairs have been referred to as “the devil’s pitchfork”.

Contraindications : Consult a Health Practitioner before use if pregnant and/or breastfeeding.

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