Family: Urticaceae (nettle family, meaning "burn")
Parts Used: leaves and roots
Also known at stinging nettle, common nettle and greater nettle. This plant has such a wide range of healing due to the high amounts of absorbable vitamins and minerals. It makes a nutrient dense food and potent medicine.
Properties and Actions
- astringent
- alterative (cleanses and purifies the blood)
- diuretic (promotes urine flow)
- nutritive
- hemostatic (stops bleeding)
- hypotensive (reduces blood pressure)
- tonic
- cooling
- drying
Uses
- Enhance immunity, protects against infection and illness.
- Expels mucus from lungs, stomach and urinary tract.
- Can relieve allergies, asthma, hay fever and mucus conditions in the lungs.
- High source of digestible iron and chlorophyll, making it a blood tonic that can aid in treating anemia.
- Cleansing and purifying to all body systems.
- Builds and nourishes blood, nerves, bones, joints and skin (best used with horsetail).
- Blood purifying and cleansing, regenerates blood and forms new corpuscles. Useful after childbirth, surgery, and hemorrhaging.
- Women's health: reproductive system support, fertility issues, induce menstruation, regulate bleeding, relieves bloating, menopausal issues, and edema.
- Fatigue and exhaustion, use to build and fortify energy.
- Useful for "growing pains" in children, and "creaky" joints in the elderly.
- Nourishes the mind aiding the body with memory and Alzheimer's help.
- Soothes irritation and speeds healing in burns, cuts, wounds, and rashes.
- Stems internal bleeding, heavy menstruation, and hemorrhoids.
- Reduce blood sugar levels and stimulate circulation and can lower blood pressure.
- Fresh root decoction and leaf is good for dissolving kidney stones.
- Prevention and treatment of urinary tract infection.
- Increase milk flow in nursing mothers.
- Joint pain and inflammation, gout.
- Prostate enlargement (root).
- Bacterial and fungal infections (root).
Methods of Use
- Food: steam leaves, add to soups, casseroles, pesto, etc. Young tender leaves of spring are best for food.
- Tea (2 teaspoons dried plant per 8 oz. water) 3-4 cups a day as needed.
- Tincture (1/4 to 1 teaspoon up to twice a day)
- Powdered, capsules - 2 capsules up to four time a day.
- Juiced
- Poultice, compress
Wildcrafting/Harvesting
- Gather young nettles in the spring for a nutrient rich food, when they are two to four inches in height. They will grow back and can be harvested over and over again.
- Mature nettles can be gathered in May or June for more medicinal properties, right before the plant blossoms.
- Roots can be gathering in late fall.
Caution
If you get stung rub the area with any of these plants: mint, plantain, dock, sage, comfrey, plantain, and nettle juice.
Resources
Stinging Nettle benefits by Dr. Axe
The Herbal Academy - Nettle Plant Walk and Uses
Healing Plants of the Rocky Mountains
Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide
The New Healing Herbs
A Handbook of Native American Herbs
Backyard Medicine
Practical Herbalism
Essential Herbal Wisdom