An ode to Nettle
Can you feel it? The fervor of Spring approaching?
I was shy to begin writing about this one, for even after all of the years we have known one another, I still feel childish and young in her presence, still hungry for her wisdom and still learning to catch the different reflections of her being like shadows on still water. How long have you been watching and teaching us two leggeds? Three thousand years ago they buried you with the dead, your fibers woven strong as silk into shrouds. You fed, clothed, and healed my ancestors, and now here I sit; womb low to the ground, crouching like a woman in birth, as I gather your stalks with bare hands.
There are few things that fill me with greater joy than a basket full of fresh spring nettles. I am giddy upon leaving the nettle patch, all sting kissed fingers and flushed cheeks. There is something about nettle that makes me feel like I’ve grasped hold of a thread that goes back back back into time.
Nettle’s nourishment is a gift, and in return, I harvest with gloveless hands. Besides, she likes the taste of your skin. I carefully grasp each stalk, smoothing the hairs upward while scissors snip just above the node. (Most of the stinging hairs lie on the underside of the leaves, so you can also pinch the young leaves from the top.) Cutting at the node will increase propagation, and later in the season if you return, you’ll see two stems where there once was one.
If you’re in a funk, the sting of nettle is sure to wake you up to your life. Nettle helps us see what’s right in front of us, what needs doing or tending, and can energize us to go out and DO the thing. Her sting is the result of formic acid, her stems covered in tiny spikes that when broken off, are injected into the skin. The result is a mild skin reaction and inflammation, although when this inflammation resides, so does any pre-existing joint pain. Nettle lashings (urtication) were common to treat arthritis and gout and are tremendously effective.
“Tender-handed, stroke a nettle,
And it stings you for your pains.
Grasp it like a man of mettle,
And it soft as silk remains.”
Nettle makes me feel whole. In her presence I learn to stand up a bit straighter, my tongue becomes a bit sharper, I am energized and zinging with purpose. As a practice, I do not enter the patch when my thoughts are still clouded. I wait on the edges, feeling her presence and harmonizing my own frequency to match. Nettle does not appreciate bemoaning or whining. She will snap you back into yourself and your power, how much it stings is up to you. Nettle is the grandmother I always needed. Sharp, smart, witty, and clever. A martian creature (Nettle is ruled by Mars) who wants you to stand up for yourself, to know your worth, and clear away the layers of doubt that linger like scum on a bathtub so you emerge reborn in integrity and purpose.
For all of her sting, nettle breathes out unconditional love. Mothers are sometimes sharp, especially the all knowing ones. Underneath the prickles is a being who provides deep nourishment for every system in the body. Look no further than the list of vitamins and minerals she contains - vitamin A, C, E, F, K, Zinc, formic acid, magnesium, carbonic acid, iron, copper, selenium, boron, bromine, chlorine, chlorophyll, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, silica, iodine, chromium, silicon and sulfur, Vitamin B-complexes as well as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6. An abundant source of silica and calcium, she contains more protein per gram than any other plant.
Nettle is one of few plants that I recommend to almost everyone as it is widely indicated and a tonic for the entire body. My favorite way to work with nettle is culinary (eating copious amounts though springtime sauteed or blended in soups) and infusions. Drinking a quart of nettle infusion is a ritual I partake in 3-4 days out of the week, and have done so for the last four years of my life. Because of the water solubility of nutrients, the longer you let the leaves steep, the more you’ll extract. I let my nettle infusions steep overnight and sometimes up to 24 hours. Being so rich in chlorophyll (plant blood), the final infusion is a deep shade of green that is almost black in color that I lovingly refer to as blood infusions.
Nettle strengthens the entire body, and is as gentle as they are nutritious. This makes them a wonderful ally for those with chronic illness. Nettle gives extra support to all the organs of elimination, while also being powerfully anti-inflammatory. They balance and support the immune system, the lungs, the kidneys, the bladder, reproductive organs, the liver, the endocrine system, and the adrenals. As an immunomodulator, nettle can decrease inflammation in the lungs (asthma), in the gut, (IBS/Chrons) and in the joints (osteoarthritis, RA, sciatica).
The anti-inflammatory action can be attributed to increased liver support which in turn increases absorption of blood proteins rather than having them engage and alarm the immune system (making Nettle a great ally for those healing from food allergies and leaky gut)
Both heating and drying to the body, as we emerge from winter slumber, nettle supports the release of stagnant damp tissue and invigorates and builds the blood. They strengthen the lungs, hair, nails, and connective tissue, increase production of breast milk and can reduce postpartum bleeding.
Nettle is a plant that primarily invigorates and revitalizes, thus we see her strongly indicated for those with depression (waste retention, under-stimulation), stagnation (elimination channels not moving, skin outbreaks) and atrophy (nervous exhaustion, weak tissues, dehydrated/dry). Those with mystery chronic illness that results in boggy tissues, widespread inflammation and exhausted adrenals, are very much indicated. Nettle tonifies and nourishes the kidneys and adrenal glands and can renew vigor in cases of adrenal burnout.
Nettle is my primary herb in treating deficiencies. Malnourishment, hair loss, anemia, chronic fatigue, the person who is lacking vitality and in need of some mothering. Through working with nettle, I've found folks are able to receive deeper nourishment, and learn to nurture and care for themselves more tenderly
Most of the medicinal actions above can be achieved through working with fresh plant infusions or fresh plant tinctures. In the early spring, I begin my daily regiment of Nettle to prevent and reduce seasonal allergies. I find them to be remarkably effective, but only if one has been taking nettle for weeks before allergy season begins. This is yet another teaching from grandmother Nettle - consistency.
Nettle seed and root/rhizome are both medicinal although with different actions than the leaf. Nettle seed is very strong and potent food for the kidneys and adrenals. In cases of severe fatigue and adrenal deficiency I recommend a tincture of nettle seed or consumption of the seeds themselves if available. Other herbalists have successfully used nettle seed to heal severe kidney damage. Nettle root is a menopausal ally and assists the body in keeping estorgen and testosterone in the body. Nettle root is most often used to restore prostate function.
Contradictions: Those with damaged kidneys should use caution as Nettle is a strong diuretic. Those with very dry tissue states should supplement nettle infusions with a cooling, moisture rich plant like marshmallow.
“Nettles may be found by feeling for them in the darkest night”
— Nicholas Culpeper
Nettle is most often found near running water. I mark the moons by the transformation of budding tongues pressing up from the soil into eight foot tall swaying stalks that tower over me. Depending on your bioregion, nettles will pop up anytime from mid winter to late spring. Out here, they’re a bit late, shyly emerging in mid February and another month until the young plants are tall enough to harvest. In milder/warmer climates you could be harvesting by Imbolc. I begin harvesting in early spring and will continue on until they start to flower in the summer. After that I wait until the seeds emerge to harvest in the fall. As someone in quite the love affair with nettle, I tend many sprawling expansive patches that I harvest from to fill my shelves with medicine to last the whole year. As I near the end of my stores in January I look forward to the return of their fresh green nourishment.
If you’re seeking an especially potent spring tonic, I recommend harvesting some fresh young nettle tops and cleavers. Throw in a blender with hot water and whiz it around. Let the blended infusion have a looong slow steep, strain and keep in the fridge. I’ll drink from this batch for the next few days for extra lymphatic support, when I’m noticing inflammation flareup, or when I'm feeling especially sluggish coming out of winter hibernation. (Note that dried cleavers will not have the same properties as fresh.)
I’ve probably forgotten to list all of the ways nettle can help us. It’s also strange for me to list out medicinal actions as if the plants aren’t complex beings in and of themselves. The way it would be odd when describing a friend by “what they can do” for us. Nettle is someone you should get to know, for they have many talents. As I’ve said and will say again, it is much wiser to get to know a few plants very well than to know a little about a lot. Nettle is abundant, wise, and loves to be in relationship with us. I find she is especially receptive to song, and humming or singing, no matter what the tune is, is a sure way to begin building a reciprocal exchange.