In Praise of Nettles
The plant Nettle has recently become very significant to me. While anyone who carelessly brushed up against the plant may be more inclined to curse it I cannot help but sing the praises of this amazing plant.
Boundary Medicine
While at my Summer Herb Camp I was surrounded with wise women herb enthusiasts. One woman was a particular mentor of mine and we got to talking about boundaries one day. She said, “boundaries are the work of a lifetime” and perhaps the most important work. I shared some of my personal story and quest to set healthy boundaries in my life. Believe it or not Nettle has important lessons to teach us about boundaries.
There is a Native American story that originally Nettle did not sting. But the people overharvested to the point that Nettle was worried about its ability to continue to exist. Nettle went to the Creator and asked for help. From then on Nettle has had a sting to remind us not to take this medicine for granted.
This was an important lesson. We may need to be a little prickly, even stinging, in order to guard our life force. We can not perpetually give to others to the point that we might not be able to continue to exist. Whenever I see Nettle or am near Nettle I am reminded of this important lesson.
Nutritious Powerhouse
Another herbalist friend of mine described the Nettle as a super charged spinach. It is also very strengthening and toning to the urinary tract (drinking lots of Nettle tea may make you need to pee more than usual). It is safe to eat thoroughly cooked as a spring green or dried as a tea. Nettle root and seeds have additional helpful uses but I will confine my discussion to the leaves today.
Tips for harvesting Nettle
The spines are the part that sting. Then contain formic acid. The spines on Nettle grow downward so when approaching the plant you want to reach from the top. I do normally wear gloves but do still often end up with tingling fingers.
The plants are full of silica and can be very tough in the late summer and fall so it is best to harvest in the spring and early summer. When harvesting, I often look for an area where the new growth comes out of a branch of leaves and snip right above this juncture. This will allow the plant to grow back strong.
These tender tops can be tied into bundles and hung upside down until thoroughly dried.
Once dried I crumble the leaves into a 1/2 gallon mason jar for use in tea over the winter. They can also be powdered in a high powered blender to create your own power green blend to sprinkle on eggs and dishes that need a green punch.
The fresh greens can also be cooked. In the above soup I used a recipe from Rosemary Gladstar. I will just share the ingredients–onions, potatoes, nettle, and a bit of parmesan cheese.
I hope you now have a new appreciate for this powerful plant. Not only does it nourish the body but reminds the spirit to not over extend itself and set healthy boundaries.
