Nettle, queen of the green. The closest thing on land to the sea, with an affinity for water and an astonishing concentration of minerals. This salty plant rebuilds and restores vitality in all who embrace it.
Nettle and I share something in common. We favor the damp forests where the earth is soft and the soil is rich. Yet Nettle is not limited to gentleness. It thrives along shale fields on the sides of high mountains, places inhospitable to more delicate green beings. It carries an unmistakable perseverance, a feisty determination that borders on stubbornness.
Still, the essential condition for a thriving patch of Nettle is one of the most sacred elements. Water.
I see Nettle as a guardian of water. It gathers along rivers and lakes, forming dense, living walls. To the untrained eye it blends into the green backdrop.
Many have been initiated into relationship with Nettle through its sting, encountering it unknowingly. In this way, Nettle teaches awareness. It asks us to learn the land where we live and to move through it with respect.
There is also a fierce protectiveness in this plant. With gentle vigilance it guards waterways and helps restore soils that have been depleted. Its sting feels electric, a buzzing surge of energy rushing to the surface. Nettle moves stagnation. It rekindles circulation, vitality, passion.
Some receive the sting without intention and turn away. Others seek it, using its medicine to awaken tissues that ache with stagnation or pain. Nettle reminds us that deep healing often requires discomfort. Growth asks something of us.
If we wish to live fully into our purpose, we must be willing to meet that edge again and again. Healing is not a destination but an ongoing becoming.
Nettle nourishes body, cells, and spirit so that we are resourced enough to create change in the world. Without nourishment, purpose cannot root. Nettle feeds us so we may stand grounded in ourselves.
This monograph is a guide to Stinging Nettle. Its medicine, its folklore, and ways to begin working with it. Though written years ago, its wisdom remains enduring. A plant for replenishment and the restoration of vitality.
Nettle ~ Urtica dioica
Family: Lamiaceae
Parts used: Leaf, root, seed
Native to: Europe, Asia
Energetics: Neutral to cool, drying, vital stimulant, trophorestorative, tonic
Clinical Actions: anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antihistamine, local anesthetic, antidiarrheal, hemostatic, antidyscratic, alterative, galactagogue
Constituents: chlorophyll, flavonoids, minerals (potassium, magnesium, silicic acid, calcium, iron), coumarins, phenolic acids, phytosterols, biogenic amines (histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin), carotenoids, etc.
Tissue Affinity: blood, skin, reproductive, bones, connective tissue, digestive, liver
Identification:
Square, erect, occasionally branched and fibrous stems, dark green leaves located in opposite pairs that become progressively smaller toward tip. Leaves are sharply toothed, ocate with a heart shaped base and pointed tip. The leaves and stems are covered with tiny stinging hairs- most concentrated on the bottom of the leaves. Because the roots are rhizomes, Nettle will usually be found in colonies, often around water or moist environments. They can grow to be two to six feet tall and are very typical of the mint family. The tiny flowers droop beautifully in bunches from the leaf axils and will form seed later in the summer season. The best time to harvest Nettle is in the spring or early summer before the plant goes to seed- although, I sometimes harvest Nettle after it goes to seed to use the seed in cooking and medicine. Picking the top of established plants can encourage the to grow more leaves. Be sure to cleanly snip the tops right above the axil of opposing leaves. However, be mindful not to take too many tops to often so that the plants can flower and go to seed.
*Collect Nettle with care to avoid getting stung. Consider wearing gloves and long sleeves, or embrace the electric sting. Because Nettle can concentrate inorganic nitrates and heavy metals, be mindful of where you are harvesting.
*Always consult a local field guide or plant person to ensure you have correct identification. Be educated on any inedible look alikes in your area.
History and Lore:
Nettle has an immense presence in folk tales from all around the world, many of which contain themes of the feminine domestic magic, such as weaving, tending the home, cooking. Nettle is a symbol across these cultures for inner strength, healing and protection.
One of the oldest uses for Nettle was to make clothing, textiles, and paper. Nettle was actually cultivated by the Ancient Greeks and Romans more than any other crop for this reason- among its bountiful gifts as medicine and food. When Nettle is spun into thread, it is 50 times stronger than cotton. This is why it is renowned for its durability. It was traditionally used to make heavy sailcloth as well as fine table linen up until the 17th and 18th centuries. People all over the world continue to use Nettle fiber for cloth, such as in the Highlands of Scotland and the mountains of Nepal.
Nettle is featured in the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Wild Swans”. In the story, a girl’s brothers have been turned into swans by their evil stepmother. A fairy tells the sister to gather Nettles in a graveyard come nightfall and spin their fibers into a prickly green yarn, which she was then to knit into a coat for each of her brothers. If she spoke during any of this, her brothers would die. So she quietly worked with the Nettles as they stung and blistered her hands, with diligence she sustains the sting until she starts running out of time. She finishes all of the coats, except for the sleeve on the last coat isn’t finished. She throws the Nettle coats onto her swan-brothers and they transform back into humans, with the exception of the youngest brother whose sleeve was incomplete- he ended up with a wing instead of an arm.
Nettle’s sting has inspired many folk stories across cultures. A Cree legend says that “Masan [Stinging Nettle] was once golden with shimmering leaves and a bright aura. The human beings did not pay their respect to this plant medicine, taking it for granted, passing it by without offering tobacco. In time it turned color to blend in with the other plants and grew stinging hairs to catch the human beings by surpise and sting them. That made us pay respect.” Indigineous folklore emphasizes the trickster within Nettle that seeks to be recognized and honored, and with find a way to do so, with a bit of humor.
In Norse mythology, Nettle is associated with Thor (the god of thunder) and Loki (the trickster god). In honor of Nettle, Norse people would make fishing net from its fibers and with the belief that it was imbued with magical qualities.
The stinging hairs are also widely known as a symbol of protection. In Celtic lore, it is thought that where there are thick stands of nettles, there must be fairy dwellings nearby. They believed that the sting of Nettle would protect one from fairy mischief. This theme rings into the 10th century Anglo-Saxon “Nine Herbs Charm”. Nettle was used in this charm to protect against “elf-shot”, which was a mysterious pain in humans or livestock caused by the arrows of the Elvin folk.
In addition to the sting being used as a symbol for protection, there is a long history of people intentionally stinging themselves to resolve various ailments or energetic blockages. Urtication (the word for intentionally stinging onesself with Nettle, rooted in the latin name for the plant, Urtica) can be seen across many different cultures all over the world.
Essentially, wherever you have Nettle, you have Urtication.
A story that I once heard and never forgot, was that in old Ireland, the sailors and fishermen had horrible arthritis from hard work and poor nutrition. Whenever they would return home to land, they would strip all of their clothes and roll in fields of Nettle. Granted, I have heard that the Nettle in Ireland has a bit of a gentler sting then the Nettle in the Americas, but the story always warrants such a whimsical image- a group of naked fishermen rolling around in the sting!
Medicinal Qualities:
At the root of Nettle’s versatility is its profound nutrient density. It concentrates trace minerals more effectively than almost any other herb. A strong overnight infusion carries a distinctly salty taste, reflecting its mineral richness.
One cup of infusion can contain significant amounts of bioavailable calcium, alongside magnesium, iron, and silica. Unlike some calcium rich foods, Nettle’s minerals are highly absorbable.
This makes it invaluable for anemia, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, malnourishment, and general depletion.
Modern diets and depleted soils leave many mineral deficient. Minerals act as cofactors for enzymatic reactions that govern nearly every cellular function. By replenishing these reserves, Nettle nourishes at the deepest physiological level.
It is both blood building and blood cleansing. It supports liver detoxification by providing the nutrients required for enzymatic transformation of toxins. This dual action makes it useful for menstrual cramps associated with deficiency or stagnation, PMS, and postpartum recovery. It supports lactation and is traditionally used throughout pregnancy when appropriate.
Nettle also supports bone integrity, especially important in menopause and aging populations vulnerable to osteoporosis.
Its antihistamine and anti inflammatory properties make it a classic ally for seasonal allergies, particularly where symptoms include profuse mucus, heat, and itching.
It aids protein metabolism and the clearance of uric acid, making it helpful in gout, arthritis, and muscle soreness.
Nettle has strong affinity for the urinary tract. As a diuretic and anti inflammatory, it supports cystitis, urinary irritation, and gravel.
Nettle root is widely studied for benign prostatic hyperplasia. It helps improve urinary flow and reduce prostate enlargement, in part through inhibition of 5 alpha reductase and the conversion of testosterone to DHT.
Urtication
This age-old practice of whacking or gently rubbing an area with fresh Nettle has brought symptomatic relief for many achey joins, arthritic complains, sprains or sore muscles.
The stinging hairs contain a mixture of histamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine- organic acids that are neurotransmitters and inflammatory modulators in the body. When applied, the acids cause local superficial inflammation which encourages deeper healing and extended anti-inflammatory effect (possibly through stimulating the release of and localizing endogenous cortisol).
With dermal application of the sting from nettle hairs, joint flexibility and pain perception can be helped dramatically.
I have personally experienced the benefits of Urtication to be monumental. When I had to have an ACL reconstruction, my knee would experience swelling, tenderness and pain into my recovery. Once I was capable of doing mellow hikes, I journeyed to a dear patch of Nettle. I intentionally stung my knee and the area didn’t really itch, but became quite swollen and it was more tender hiking out. It felt hot and there was an obvious feeling of blood flow, almost a swollen throb, that went to the area. It was a little uncomfortable but not painful. The next morning I woke up and my knee felt better than it had at any point previously in my recovery. It shifted the healing trajectory in a tangible way.
Cautions/Contraindications:
Nettle is a very drying botanical. If someone has a dry constitution (tendencies toward dry skin, feeling parched, constipation, etc.) or lives in a dry environment, it is important that the moisture of Nettle is balanced by demulcent herbs, such as Marshmallow. Raw greens should not be eaten, cook or further process (in tincture, or blend) to remove the sting.
Kitchen Incorporation:
If you have access to fresh Nettle, a simple sauté with olive oil or butter is one of the most delectable ways to engage with this medicine- the leaves melt in your mouth! I once heard a saying, “Anything Spinach can do, Nettle can do better.” It can be subbed in any recipe where cooked greens are called for.
Nettle Super Infusion:
One of the best ways to extract all of the minerals from Nettle is an overnight infusion. The long steep time allows all of the minerals to be pulled out from the plants to be highly bioavailable to the body. You can also prepare this overnight infusion using our Nourish-Mint Tea which contains Nettle in addition to other nutritive herbs for added benefit!
30g of dried Nettle (a little over 1 oz)
1 quart hot water
Add Nettle to a quart sized mason jar. Fill to the top with freshly boiled water. Cover your infusion with a tightly fitted lid and let steep overnight. Strain in the morning and sip throughout the day. The infusion should keep in the fridge for 2-3 days (it will spoil quickly if left on the counter previous to straining).
Nettle at the Apothecary:
Nettle is one of the most foundational plant allies in our apothecary. Its deeply nutritive, restorative nature makes it a thread that weaves through many of our formulas.
You will find Nettle most prominently in our nourishing and rebuilding blends. Teas and infusions designed to replenish minerals, support blood building, and restore vitality often feature Nettle as a primary anchor. These formulas are especially supportive during times of depletion, postpartum recovery, convalescence, and seasonal transitions when the body craves deep nourishment.
Formulas like Nourish-Mint Tea, Nutri-Mix tincture & Pregnancy Tea.
Nettle also appears in many of our seasonal support formulas. In spring, it shines in blends crafted for histamine response, sinus congestion, and immune modulation. Its antihistamine and anti inflammatory qualities make it a natural ally for those navigating pollen season and environmental sensitivities.
Try our famous Aller-Relief Formula!
Because of its affinity for the kidneys and urinary tract, Nettle is included in several of our urinary and fluid metabolism formulas. Here it supports gentle diuresis, tissue toning, and the soothing of irritation within the urinary system. Think, our Kidney Tonic!
You will also find Nettle woven into women’s health formulations. Its ability to build and move blood, replenish iron, and restore mineral reserves makes it supportive throughout the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and postpartum. Pregnancy Tea and Women's Blessing Tea...
In this way and more, Nettle moves through the apothecary not as a single note but as a foundational chord. Nourishing, strengthening, and restoring the terrain so that deeper healing can take root.
Shop all of our formulas with Nettle here!
Lessons from Nettle
Nettle reminds us that nourishment is the foundation of all healing. That vitality is not built through force, but through steady replenishment over time. Whether taken as infusion, woven into daily formulas, or encountered growing wild along the edges of water, Nettle offers itself as a companion in restoration. A plant that feeds our resilience so we may continue showing up for the work that is ours to do.
In a culture that often reaches first for stimulation, Nettle calls us back to sustenance. To minerals, to blood, to the quiet rebuilding that happens beneath the surface. It teaches patience with our bodies and reverence for the slow return of strength. When we tend to ourselves in this way, we become better stewards of our energy, our communities, and the living world that nourishes us in return.