Hey there everyone! Today we are looking at our herbal friend Nettle, whose Latin name is Urtica dioica.

Often known as stinging nettle, this plant is true to its name, and will sting when touched fresh, leaving behind a rash. It’s best to pick this plant wearing thick gloves, though some people actually use that sting on their joints to bring blood flow to the area and treat arthritis. This treatment goes all the way back to ancient Egypt, and Roman troops were even known to use the stinging all over themselves to keep warm! Nettles are so amazing that people even turn them into fibers, and make clothing from them!

This plant really is one of my absolute favorites. It shows up in spring, and supports us perfectly just as we are coming out of our winter hibernations. It’s a strong plant that defends itself, always growing close to its best friend Cleaver, who complements it well. Nettle knows how to help us find strength, waking up our bodies and supporting that transition into the warmer months through good nutrition. It’s a very safe plant, and can be used in pregnancy and during breastfeeding. It works so well for so many things, that we often say, “When in doubt, add Nettle!”

Most often, we see Nettle used in a tea or tincture form. The young plant can be eaten as a food also. Try sauteeing it up the same as you would spinach, or steaming it. Throw it into stews and broths, or you can freeze it and toss it into a smoothie! Just make sure to cook it down well, since that makes the stinging ability go away. When we take it internally, it is nutritive, meaning it is full of healthy vitamins and minerals for our bodies. It can be a great addition to your diet if you have low iron levels, since it helps your body absorb the iron from other foods.

To make tea, boil 8 ounces of water and pour it over 2 teaspoons of dried nettle, then let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the leaves and enjoy! Simple as that. You can drink this tea a few times a day if you’d like. It can be a little bitter, so some people like to add in herbs like chamomile or peppermint, or you can just add Nettles in with your favorite flavored tea bag!

Nettle tincture in another option. Tinctures are concentrated herbs, meaning a little bit goes a long way. You can take 2-5 dropperfuls, up to 3 times a day. Start out with the lower dose, and see how it feels, then add more if you’d like to. Tinctures are pretty powerful, so no need to go over that max amount. You’ll get what you need from the smaller doses. Also, when I say “dropperful”, it is just the amount that shows up when you squeeze the top of tincture bottle. It never fills all the way up, so don’t worry about trying to get it there.

Nettles grow all over the place in Vancouver, WA and the Pacific Northwest in general. It loves moist soil, so you can find it on the edges of rivers and streams, but it can show up all over the place here, where it rains a lot. It likes full or partial sun, and grows up in springtime, sometimes getting to be taller than 5 or 6 feet!

It’s best to harvest nettle when it is at least a foot tall, but before it starts to grow flowers. Use scissors to snip it down, but please leave behind a few inches at the bottom, clipping it just above where the first group of leaves branch off, so it has a chance to continue growing. You can find nettles in local parks and wildlife areas, but remember that nettles can hold onto whatever they find in the air around them, including fumes from cars, so don’t eat ones that grow near roads or parking areas.

If you’d like to buy Nettle instead of harvesting it, it is easily found dried, and in tincture form. Check out local places like Chuck’s or Natural Grocers for the tincture. Healing Arts Apothecary in Battle Ground carries the bulk dried herb. It can be ordered online too. I like ordering from Starwest Botanicals and Mountain Rose Herbs. And no, I’m not paid to say that, they’re just great companies who grow great herbs, and you can find their links below.

We hope this video helps you feel a bit more comfortable with using Nettles. Please always remember that some herbs can interact badly with each other, or with medications, and knowing your way around them is important before using them. If you want to learn even more about this herb, you can check out the American Botanical Council (link below), and you can always make an appointment to see the VCM Team for botanical guidance and support, especially around the childbearing year.