Why we all need Nettles in our lives
Urtica dioica, also known as the common nettle grows in abundance all over the UK. Most commonly it is seen at hedgerows, riverbanks and alongside paths and even pavements. It’s a perennial that is often seen as a nuisance to some gardeners and farmers as they can encroach on to other plant areas. They can grow to 8 feet tall, but are generally 3-5 foot on average. Nettles like mineral-rich soil and will start to sprout in March.
The genus name, Urtica relates to the Latin term, to burn and when one comes into contact with the hairs that cover this plant, the sensation of burning, thanks to the formic acid that has just been injected, is all too familiar. This is why nettle is one of the most well-known plants, even to children. The family of the herb, Urticaceae, contains over 2500 different plants, many of which contain stinging hairs. When cutting nettles for food or medicinal use, you will likely want thick leather gloves, ideally up to the elbows.
For food use, the tops of the nettles are best used, and cut before the end of the summer otherwise they go a bit dry and chewy. New leaves (at the top of the plant) are the best (Apr-June). For the root, the best time to collect them is in the autumn when the plant dies back and all the life and vitality is stored away underground.
Nutritionally, nettle has an impressive array of constituents. For a plant, it’s very high in protein, and has good levels of calcium, magnesium and iron. This makes it a great herb to use in cooking, especially for those who are convalescing, postpartum or who struggle with anaemia or mineral loss. It can be used to make soups and spreads. An easy way to create a nettle soup, is to use a leek and potato recipe and swap the leeks for nettle (tops).
We use Nettle Leaf in our Nettle Plus and we also have Aquasol Nettle Root tea powder which can be used to make a lovely tea, or can be added to smoothie or other recipes to increase plant points.
By Rosie Rayner, ND, mBANT, mANP