You really covered all the goodness of this plant, thank you. I've been using nettles for many years as food, treatment for my achy hands and as a cool-colored soothing tea. I honorably harvest by hand out of respect and reciprocity and because my hands feel great after the burn.
Sounds like you already know all of my favorite tricks! I love how Nettle tea/infusion is an acid/base indicator and changes color with the addition of lemon juice. After a car accident, I also found nettle stings to be the most effective anti-inflammatory.
thank you for this post! Timely for me as I'm starting my new garden and wondered when and how to harvest the wild nettles surrounding our place. Much appreciated x
Glad it found you at the right time and a bit jealous you already have nettles to harvest! My first springtime moves are usually the Nettle infusion and the bacon fried greens.
I really enjoyed reading your post. Having written about nettle widely myself, it's wonderful to see a fresh perspective and learn new things. I've never considered its use as a flower essence, and after reading your article, feel called to give it a try.
Thank you Sarah! I have been astounded at how many non-flowery plants you can make flower essences with (possibly all of them?) Also, I learned from @Starbie B. That you can use flower essences for other things like hand sanitizer and hair washes, so now we can make flower essences with reckless abandon ;)
Hair washes! Sanitisers! OMG I need to go down this rabbit hole! I've written three posts on my Substack on the topic of DIY flower essences and have it on my ‘to do” list to complete the fourth lesson. However… now I'm feeling I've just scratched the surface! I feel a project coming on!
Thank you Lisa, to be totally honest in the year since I wrote that I forgot that too! Thank you for the reminder to add some Nettle seeds to my oatmeal this morning.
I like grazing on the seeds in the wild. You can pick them — carefully — without being stung. Whether green or mature, they are tasty and healthy.
I also eat the leaves in the wild. You can fold in the edges and tips — carefully — then gather up a bunch of saliva in your mouth. Your saliva is slightly basic, which will help neutralize the formic acid in the stingers. Pop the folded leaf in your mouth, and swish it in saliva while you chew it up! Yummy!
Nice, Nettle seeds go with everything as far as I can tell. I haven't yet tried wild grazing Nettle leaves, perhaps a new project for when they finally show there faces here again :)
Thanks Juliet! 100% agree, I love them! Goodness on so many levels. Stay tuned, I think the plant for August is going to be Motherwort, which is not very palatable, but powerful medicine.
Wow! I moved to the Pacific NW about 3-4 years ago and found a lot of nettle, so I researched a bit and was impressed, but this is amazing. Thank you for all your research and sharing!
Just today I was researching about Longwort herb, particularly for respiratory issues. Your post is absolutely fascinating and quite thorough, thank you! I'm definitely interested in getting some nettle now and give it a good try. Thanks so much for this! Just what I needed today.
Thanks, I think you'll love nettle infusion, simple and so nourishing. Was it lungwort or longwort? I wasn't sure if autocorrect got you or there's a new plant I need to learn. But we'll get into some other “worts”, St. John's wort and motherwort coming up over the next couple months I think.
Thanks for this, Amy - I don't know if you know my piece ‘Nettle-Eater’? You might enjoy it: https://tomhirons.com/prose/nettle-eater
Oh, I do know and love Nettle Eater. The little green book is upstairs on my bookshelf!
You really covered all the goodness of this plant, thank you. I've been using nettles for many years as food, treatment for my achy hands and as a cool-colored soothing tea. I honorably harvest by hand out of respect and reciprocity and because my hands feel great after the burn.
Sounds like you already know all of my favorite tricks! I love how Nettle tea/infusion is an acid/base indicator and changes color with the addition of lemon juice. After a car accident, I also found nettle stings to be the most effective anti-inflammatory.
thank you for this post! Timely for me as I'm starting my new garden and wondered when and how to harvest the wild nettles surrounding our place. Much appreciated x
Glad it found you at the right time and a bit jealous you already have nettles to harvest! My first springtime moves are usually the Nettle infusion and the bacon fried greens.
I really enjoyed reading your post. Having written about nettle widely myself, it's wonderful to see a fresh perspective and learn new things. I've never considered its use as a flower essence, and after reading your article, feel called to give it a try.
Thank you Sarah! I have been astounded at how many non-flowery plants you can make flower essences with (possibly all of them?) Also, I learned from @Starbie B. That you can use flower essences for other things like hand sanitizer and hair washes, so now we can make flower essences with reckless abandon ;)
Hair washes! Sanitisers! OMG I need to go down this rabbit hole! I've written three posts on my Substack on the topic of DIY flower essences and have it on my ‘to do” list to complete the fourth lesson. However… now I'm feeling I've just scratched the surface! I feel a project coming on!
Ooh, I'll stay tuned
Fabulous monograph. I didn’t know (or learnt so long ago I forgot), about the seeds containing serotonin, Impressive.
Thank you Lisa, to be totally honest in the year since I wrote that I forgot that too! Thank you for the reminder to add some Nettle seeds to my oatmeal this morning.
That will do the trick Amy.
I like grazing on the seeds in the wild. You can pick them — carefully — without being stung. Whether green or mature, they are tasty and healthy.
I also eat the leaves in the wild. You can fold in the edges and tips — carefully — then gather up a bunch of saliva in your mouth. Your saliva is slightly basic, which will help neutralize the formic acid in the stingers. Pop the folded leaf in your mouth, and swish it in saliva while you chew it up! Yummy!
Nice, Nettle seeds go with everything as far as I can tell. I haven't yet tried wild grazing Nettle leaves, perhaps a new project for when they finally show there faces here again :)
Nettles are brilliant plants for so many reasons, but all too often undervalued. Thanks for a very detailed post.
Thanks Juliet! 100% agree, I love them! Goodness on so many levels. Stay tuned, I think the plant for August is going to be Motherwort, which is not very palatable, but powerful medicine.
Ah yes, lungwort with a U. Looking forward to reading the next ones!
Wow! I moved to the Pacific NW about 3-4 years ago and found a lot of nettle, so I researched a bit and was impressed, but this is amazing. Thank you for all your research and sharing!
Thanks Briana. Nettles are so awesome. What are your favorite ways to use them?
Just today I was researching about Longwort herb, particularly for respiratory issues. Your post is absolutely fascinating and quite thorough, thank you! I'm definitely interested in getting some nettle now and give it a good try. Thanks so much for this! Just what I needed today.
Thanks, I think you'll love nettle infusion, simple and so nourishing. Was it lungwort or longwort? I wasn't sure if autocorrect got you or there's a new plant I need to learn. But we'll get into some other “worts”, St. John's wort and motherwort coming up over the next couple months I think.