Like most weeds Stinging Nettle (Urtica urens) can be a pain for gardeners. The plant and its flowers and fruits are covered in fierce stinging hairs that break off in the skin, releasing various irritant compounds. Overview Information Stinging nettle is a plant. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has her M.S.... Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. After fermenting it for 5-6 weeks the nettle … Unlike deadnettles (Lamium), stinging nettles (Urtica) have stinging hairs that make them quickly apparent to the gardener when weeding. Urticaceae. https://www.britannica.com/plant/stinging-nettle, New York State - Department of Environmental Conservation - Stinging Nettle, WebMD - Stinging Nettle: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage, and Warning. Nettle is native to Europe but now grows in damp fertile soils virtually throughout the world. They also bear brownish-green tassle-like flowers from May to September, quite different from the more attractive hooded flowers … Stinging nettle leaves and flowers can be dried, and the dried leaves can be steeped and made into a tea. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica, also known as common nettle or nettle leaf) is an herbaceous perennial plant. In some parts of the US, stinging nettle is considered an invasive weed due to its ability to self-seed and spread through its root mass. Stinging nettle plants are often compared to spinach because they can be used in the same ways that you would normally use spinach. The Wildlife Trusts is a movement made up of 46 Wildlife Trusts: independent charities with a shared mission. They tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions, though they seem to like moisture and soils rich in nitrate and phosphate. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Like most edible plants, the best way to eat nettle is to consume it shortly after being harvested. The dried plant can be used as livestock feed, and heating or cooking the fresh leaves renders them safe for consumption. Stinging Nettle Recipes. Stinging nettle has a long history of use as a medicinal herb and is still used in folk medicine for a wide array of disorders, though there is limited clinical evidence supporting its efficacy. The fruits are small achenes, and the plants produce copious amounts of seeds. Corrections? They need to stay in a closed container. Flowering time: July–September. Stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica), also called common nettle, weedy perennial plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae), known for its stinging leaves. The plant can spread vegetatively with its yellow creeping rhizomes and often forms dense colonies. U. dioica is known by several other common names, including "Common Nettle", "Bigsting Nettle", "Tall Nettle", and... All true nettles are a part of the Nettle Family Urticaceae. As well as being delicious, nettle tea is reputed to help combat several ailments, … Nevertheless, stinging nettle is a host plant for a number of butterfly and moth species. Stinging nettle flowers. When producing brew and manure from stinging nettles, the time factor is the decisive variable. Staminate flower is greyish yellow: four tepals (like sepals). Its preference for damp, fertile and disturbed ground makes it a good coloniser of places enriched by human activities, such as agriculture and development. Stinging nettle is distributed nearly worldwide but is especially common in Europe, North America, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The flowers grow along stems that shoot out fr… If you’re a gardener who enjoys raising non-traditional herbs in your garden, stinging nettle could still be your herb of choice. It has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons, which are bright yellow, as are the roots. Inflorescence is catkin-like, 48 cm (1.63.2\") long. The toothed leaves are borne oppositely along the stem, and both the stems and leaves are covered with numerous stinging and non-stinging trichomes (plant hairs). Where lies the difference between brew and manure? The flowers occur in the axils of leaf-like bracts. They also often grow in masses, forming a monoculture. A very common plant, the stinging nettle can be found growing in gardens, hedgerows, fields, woodlands and many other habitats. The root and above ground parts are used as medicine. The flowers are greenish; they are very small but numerous. Documented accounts of its use date as far back as 1200 BC, and its uses are widespread. Updates? May Reduce Inflammation. The dead nettles do not sting, both white dead nettles and red dead nettles are quite common flowers. Omissions? You can consume the leaves fresh, but if you want to preserve the nettle plants to be consumed or used later, there are a few things that you can try. They inject a mix of acetylcholine, formic acid, histamine, and serotonin, causing an itchy, burning rash in humans and other animals that may last up to 12 hours. From the nutrition point of view, they pack a wallop as well. Stinging nettle is an herbaceous plant and often grows to about 2 metres (6.5 feet) in height. Preserving Nettle Plants. Inflammation is your body’s way of healing itself and fighting infections. Family. It has a single carpel and the stigma is brush-like. The plant is common in herbal medicine, and young leaves can be cooked and eaten as a nutritious potherb. Urtica dioica. Urtica dioica is a dioecious, herbaceous, perennial plant, 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) tall in the summer and dying down to the ground in winter. It usually pops up each spring, and easily spreads after flowering and going to seed. It has been grown, foraged, and harvested for thousands of years. The stinging trichomes of the leaves and stems have bulbous tips that break off when brushed against, revealing needlelike tubes that pierce the skin. Definitely not a plant to step on with bare feet! This means in detail, that a brew with the usage of boiling water has to be prepared within 2 minutes and should be ready for application after additional 24 hours. If you do get stung try rubbing the old favorite dock leaves on the inflamed area, it works but only really psycologically, much better and much more effective is to use the juice from Greater or Ribwort Plantain. The plant is considered an herbaceous perennial, meaning that it has herbal properties and grows back in the same areas year after year. It also provides great perennial habitat for a wide range of … The stinging nettle is a familiar and common plant, often firmly rooted in our memories after our first, hands-on experience - a prickling irritation that's not forgotten easily! Navigate parenthood with the help of the Raising Curious Learners podcast. Stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a common plant that grows in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Additionally, stinging nettle has been used as a source of bast fibres for textiles and is sometimes used in cosmetics. The rootstock is used as a diuretic and as an herbal treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) and other urinary disorders. Recognizing the plant and teaching children how to distinguish it can help avoid stinging nettle rash. Burning nettle, also known as small nettle or annual nettle, generally reaches heights of 5 to 24 inches (12.5 to 61 cm). Pick only the tenderest, youngest leaves. Overview Stinging nettle rash occurs when the skin comes into contact with stinging nettles. Stinging or common nettles (Urtica dioica) are widespread across the U.K. The young shoots are tasty and extremely healthy in soups, stews and pancakes. Similarly, the ovary within the female flower is haploid (1n). There are many variations of nettle tea recipes that feature a number of other herbs like raspberry leaf, echinacea or goldenseal. Early spring is the best time to harvest — I try to pick more early in the season and store for later use. Cover the barrel with a lid because this liquid will have a strong smell! The soft, green leaves are 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) long and are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem. Botanical Description. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Medicinal Uses . Stinging nettle is distributed nearly worldwide but is especially common in Europe, North America, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The plants can be dioecious (an individual produces only female or male flowers) or monoecious (an individual bears both male and female flowers), depending on the subspecies. They can be found in woodlands, hedgerows, gardens and disturbed ground. Burning Nettle vs. Stinging Nettle. Stinging nettle is used for diabetes and osteoarthritis. The pollen produced by the male flowers is haploid (1n) meaning that it contains one set of chromosomes. … Description: Although they can reach greater heights, stinging nettles usually grow to about three to four feet tall. The nettle has sharp hairs on its leaves. That said, I think they have a more subtle, lighter flavor, especially when used raw. Opposed to this, the production of manure, on the basis of cold water – takes approximately 14 days for production. It is used to make medicine. The stinging nettle is a plant found practically all over the world. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI), Different types of protected wildlife sites. They are also high in protein and when cooked are very mild, tasting similar to spinach but slightly rougher. The tiny green or white flowers are borne in dense whorled clusters in the leaf axils and stem tips and are wind-pollinated. Upper drooping female flowers of common Stinging Nettle / Urtica dioica in sunshine. Fresh nettle leaves can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-5 days. Nettle leaf, also called Urtica dioica, has been used in traditional medicine for many centuries. Weigh them down with a stone and fill it up with water. Reviving nettle tea. - they are virtually indistinguishable from leaves. Hunting dogs running through stinging nettle thickets have been poisoned, sometimes lethally, by the massive accumulation of stings. Realize, you must use great care when raising and preparing it for use. Set aside an area of lawn, part of a border, or even a…, Set up a ‘nectar café’ by planting flowers for pollinating insects like bees and butterflies, The Wildlife Trusts: Protecting Wildlife for the Future. The pretty small tortoiseshell is a familiar garden visitor that can be seen feeding on flowers all year-round during warm spells.…, It doesn’t matter what size your space is, there’s always room for wildflowers! The leaves have distinctly serrated edges, with each leaf margin looking like a row of pointed teeth. Tea made from the leaves has been used to treat hay fever, diabetes, gout, and arthritis, and fresh stinging leaves are sometimes applied to arthritic joints in a process known as urtification, which is said to stimulate blood flow. It primarily grows in damp, fertile soil. Pollinators and other beneficial insects – Stinging nettle flowers are wind-pollinated, not insect-pollinated. Tender handed stroke a nettle, It’ll sting you for your pains, Grasp it like a man of mettle, And it soft as silk remains’. Scientific Name. Given these conditions, nettles can grow to a height of a metre or more. The plant is common in herbal medicine, and young leaves can be cooked and eaten as a nutritious potherb. Pistillate flower has four tepals in different-sized pairs, are greyish green and hairy. Topical creams have also been developed for joint pain and various skin ailments, including eczema and dandruff. Although contact causes intense stinging and itching, symptoms usually last less than an hour; some people may have skin discoloration for several days. Specimen has leaf curl and may have been poisoned or short of H2O ID: 2C2X9RM (RF) Common or Stinging Nettle (urtica dioica), close up of a cluster of the plants in flower. Cooking stinging nettle gets rid of the stinging hairs. Stinging nettles are plants that are commonly found … The flowers are small, green and catkin-like with no petals. The best way to prevent a stinging nettle rash is to avoid stinging nettles touching the skin. An upright plant with dull green, serrated leaves, covered with stinging hairs. Stinging nettle may seem like a risky herb to grow, but you can’t overlook its benefits. The flowers have four stamens and yellow anthers. Stinging nettle can make a real nuisance of itself in vegetable gardens, but it is also one of Finland’s most diverse and useful plants. It bears small, greenish or brownish, numerous flower… Stinging Nettle is a surprisingly helpful plant in food and medicine despite its stinging hairs, as seen below. Status. The stinging nettle is a flowering plant that, like all plants, exhibits alteration of generations. It is native to Europe. The leaves and stems of the plant are covered with brittle, hollow, hair-like structures. Stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica), also called common nettle, weedy perennial plant of the nettle family , known for its stinging leaves. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). You can also turn nettles into a liquid fertilizer by filling a barrel with the leaves and branches. If you see a group of such plants, look for those noxious bristly hairs along the stems of the plants and on the undersides of their leaves. Stinging Nettle Liquid Fertilizer. S oaking, cooking, … The leaves have a strongly serrated margin, a cordate base, and an acuminate tip with a terminal leaf tooth longer than adjacent laterals. Stinging Nettles are rich in vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Flowers: Stinging nettle is a dioecious (staminate and pistillate flowers on different plants) plant with very small flowers. 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