Herb of The Month: STINGING NETTLE LEAF
Stinging Nettle Leaf
Urtica Dioica
Scientific Name: Urtica Dioica, Urtica from latin “uro” meaning “I burn” and “dioica” which means “of two houses” referring to the male and female flowers which are usually on separate plants, but Nettle has both male and female on the same plant and therefore self-pollinating.
Family: Urticaceae
Parts Used: Ariel parts when young, before flowering. The root can also be used (I have not personally used the root yet).
Taste/ Smell: Upon first smelling and tasting Nettles, you’ll notice the deep earthiness of the plant which signals to the amount of nourishment she offers (she’s classified as a nourishing herb!). She’s packed with vitamins and minerals, leaving a salty and swampy taste (in the best way!).
Main Constituents: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, silicic acid, iron, zinc, vitamin c
Where to find her/ plant description:
Nettles can be found worldwide and most abundant in damp areas, but don’t be surprised if you find this bold beauty in drier areas too such as roadsides and fields. The photo below was a patch of Nettles I found in a dry area of Southern California. Nettles are resilient! Nettles are a perennial which means she’ll pop up every spring and typically grow from 1 to 6 feet tall. As seen below, the plant likes to grow in clusters. I have yet to find nettles on the new land, but there’s still so much to explore, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she just hasn’t decided to reveal herself yet.
Her namesake gives away a very specific quality of the plant. She stings! I was excited to finally meet this plant in the wild so I could feel the true power of her sting. You can not only identify Nettles by her sting, square stem and vibrant green color, but her leaves have a distinct jagged edge that immediately gives her away.
Spirit/Elements/ Chakras:
I’ll never forget when I first sat down and meditated with Nettles. She was immediately grounding and oh so nourishing! I could feel her in my veins, replenishing my systems, and felt her go down into my root chakra. She told me “you are always grounded, even when you’re airy, you are grounded”. To me, she was a dark, mossy being, but also firm and gentle. By the stinging nature of the plant, she teaches us about boundaries while maintaining wildness. She’s a wild weed that isn’t picky where she grows, whether it’s in the forest, meadows, roadsides, or by the river. This plant does what she wants, unapologetically and reminds us to stay nourished as we too, forge our own path.
Earth: grounding, nourishing
Air: cleansing to mind, respiratory ally
Water: cleansing, blood building
Fire: helps digestion, anti-inflammatory
5 Tastes: salty
Chakras: Balancing/ healing to Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar Plexus
Herbal Actions: Nutritive Tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Diuretic, Astringent, Alterative, Rubefacient
Nettles is an incredible plant ally with a plethora of reasons. Given that the plant is a nutritive tonic, she will flood you with vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and calcium to name a few. Given her high iron content, Nettle is widely used as an ally for menstruation; this is a plant that’s wonderful for both the male and female reproductive system. Nettle is a master at getting into our any systems (immune, circulatory, nervous, respiratory, digestive, endocrine) and replenishing and revitalizing as needed. I have also consistently drank nettle throughout my pregnancy since it’s full of so many vital vitamins and minerals!
Nettle can be used fresh in stews, soups, stir fry’s, vinegars, you name it! The stinging quality goes away when cooked and dried properly. My personal favorite way to commune with Nettle is by drinking a cold overnight infusion. There’s truly nothing like drinking Nettle first thing in the morning and flooding yourself with wild weed medicine! Nettle is cooling and drying while grounding and supportive as a close friend.
Cautions: Overall, Nettles is known as a safe herbal ally. However, if harvesting wild Nettles, one should be mindful of the true stinging power of the plant and may consider wearing gloves or other protective clothing. The plant can be drying so be mindful of any kidney related issues such as kidney stones and work with a healthcare professional.
For all my Nettle lovers out there, I couldn’t help myself and made Nettle stamped bandanas. These bandanas are lovingly made of cotton/hemp fabric and dyed with avocado pits which creates the softest pink color (shown better in the first photo then the other two)! Cut, dyed, sewn, and stamped with my design, you can read more about it here.
Want one? Shoot us an email or DM!
DISCLAIMER: Be & Borrow does not make any claims or promises about the health benefits of any plant. The above statement is information, not advice. All statements are not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent disease. We offer opinions and the information provided is for educational purposes only. We advise users to consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if seeking medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All users are responsible for conducting their own research about the plant and be & borrow takes no responsibility for side affects, unfavorable reactions, or improper use.