Stinging Nettle

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a plant that many people dread running into on the trail. Despite the pain it causes, it is a very interesting and useful plant. Subspecies of this plant are found in many parts of the world, especially in moist forests and riparian zones, along rivers/streams.

Stinging Nettle gets its name from the needle-like hairs, or trichomes, on the stems and bottom of the leaves. When the trichomes come in contact with something like an animal’s skin they inject chemicals: acetylcholine, formic acid, histamine, and serotonin. The formic acid causes some of singing sensation. Some ants also use formic acid to protect themselves. Histamine is what your body releases when something you are allergic to enters your body. This chemical, alongside with acetylcholine and serotonin, causes a rash to form and may cause some of the pain as well.

Stinging Nettle Flowers

The stinging adaptation that Stinging Nettles have discourages many animals from eating it. However, some caterpillars and aphids are able to munch on the leaves. When it is dried, cooked, or carefully picked it can be eaten by humans and livestock. Stinging Nettle is actually very nutritious. It contains many vitamins and minerals in addition to it being high in fiber and protein. They are best when the leaves are new and the stalk is only about a foot high. The cooking process breaks the needles so they no longer sting. Boiling it also makes a tea that many people have used to treat various medical conditions. Not much research has been done to prove the tea is effective, however. Because they also have a lot of nitrogen, an element that plants need to grow, they are also often used in fertilizer and compost. Lastly, the strings in the stalk of the Stinging Nettle have been used in making textiles, or fabric.