Nettles are our friends
Word has it our forebears began domesticating plants for consumption about 10,000 years ago, and I’m glad they did. Thank you, Aunt Mabel and Uncle Abdul. They started with grassy things like wheat and barley in the Mideast, rice in Asia and potatoes in South America.
Way before there were Kroger stores, Uncle Gregorius was lost in a southern European woods and realized the tall handsome green plants he stood among were making him itch like all the notes in a Sonny Rollins solo. “Hmm,” he said. “I instinctively intuit these dark green handsome plants causing my discomfort are packed with minerals and medicinal qualities, so I’ll take some leaves home for supper.” Uncle Gregorious was smart and far-sighted, unlike the governor of Texas.
Stinging nettles are members of the Urticaceae family – a word notable for its vowel-to-consonant ratio. They are native to Europe and parts of Asia but have found their way most everywhere. Folks just like us thousands of years ago used the stems of nettle plants in making fiber for ropes and baskets. It ranked with flax and hemp in textile production before cotton came along. Interest in nettle fiber has had a renaissance lately because nettles do not require as much care or fertilizer as other fiber crops, and they improve less fertile soil. They also flourish in cooler temperatures.
I once worked in a garden just uphill from a creek lined with a healthy stand of nettles. Growing here and there in the patch were curly dock plants which, when squeezed or pounded, produce a juice that soothes urticated skin – a ninety percent surefire remedy for your nettle rash.
The plants might grow to six feet tall or more during the summer but will die back during winter. Once established, the root base of each plant sends rhizomes in every direction creating a patch you can call Nettleville. Nettle leaves and stems added to a compost heap stimulate the decomposition process and break down nicely into humus as well… they mix right in and get the party started unlike the governor of Florida.
Because of its tendency to spread, nettles are often considered invasive. Nevertheless, gardeners who have not grown everything yet might still insist on trying it anyway. Some sources recommend stratifying seeds which means exposing them to cool, moist conditions for a few weeks before sowing. Simply press the tiny seeds onto damp potting soil in a shallow container and place it in the fridge beside a jar of sauerkraut. Or a gardener can press the seeds onto garden soil (do not cover) in late autumn and maybe the winter will stratify them.
If your nettle seeds sprout, use caution and gloves when working around the plants as they grow. Each of the plants could easily grow taller than me, so that would mean plenty prickly leaves for eating along the way or drying for later. The leaves lose their sting when cooked or dried. The leaves can be eaten like spinach or kale, and they provide vitamins A and D plus iron, phosphorus, potassium and other favorites.
The leaves dry easily and make a wonderful tea. In his book Back to Eden, Jethro Kloss asserted, “This herb will prevent scrofula,” in case you were worried about that. He also proclaimed tea made from nettle leaves, “will expel phlegm from the lungs and stomach and clean out the urinary canal.” He makes it sound important. I drink it regularly because it is hearty and tasty.
Nettles are considered excellent companion plants for sage, peppermint and other herbs because they help neighbors reach their full potential unlike the governor of Arkansas. Plus, a person with a recipe could prepare a crock pot of nettle beer on Monday evening, bottle it on Sunday and enjoy it the following weekend – a reward for a mild case of urtication.