Urtica (Nettles)
Stinging nettle is a nutrient-rich, herbaceous perennial plant valued for its edible and medicinal properties. Ecologically, it improves soil fertility and supports pollinators, while also serving as a host plant for butterflies and other insects. It thrives in damp, shaded areas with rich soils, often near rivers, wetlands, and woodland margins. It emerges in early spring, with young shoots and leaves harvested from March through June before the plant flowers.
Key identifying features include serrated, heart-shaped leaves with fine, stinging hairs and square stems. The leaves and stems are covered in tiny, needle-like hairs that release histamine and formic acid when touched, causing a temporary stinging sensation. Nettle flowers are small and greenish, growing in clusters along the upper stems.
Stinging nettle has been used extensively by Indigenous peoples for food, medicine, and fiber. Young shoots were cooked or steamed as a nutrient-rich green vegetable, while dried leaves were brewed into teas to treat anemia, allergies, and joint pain. Nettles were also used topically to relieve arthritis and muscle soreness through a process called urtication. Their fibrous stems were processed to make cordage, fishing nets, and textiles.