BLOG
All about wild herbs.
Stinging Nettle – Urtica Dioica.
Honouring boundaries and nourishing yourself.
When winter begins to give in to spring, there's an awakening that turns into a longing for fresh green herbs. One of the first greens to pop up is the stinging nettle. That first spring harvest is one of the highlights of my year. A new cycle is starting, and all the goodness lies ahead. And many good beginnings start with the stinging nettle.
The timing is perfect. After a long stretch of darkness and cold, it’s essential to nourish the body with everything it can get. Stinging nettle is one of the most nutritious greens we have. It’s rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, and minerals like iron, silicon, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. It also contains beta-carotene and chlorophyll—you read that right. Luckily for us, it grows in abundance and is easy to find and harvest.
There are more beginnings than just the spring season when stinging nettle offers its support. After recovering from illness, it’s important to refill and strengthen the body. That’s a perfect time to remember nettle infusions. After menstruation is another moment when nettle helps to replenish energy. I also like to offer it to friends going through emotional sadness or stress—often adding lemon balm and roses to soothe the heart. Whenever we feel the need for extra support, nettle is often right there—growing just around the corner.
Stinging nettle is also an herb of beauty. Its high mineral content supports strong hair and nails. All my tea blends for hair include nettle.
It can also be used as a hair rinse—just make an infusion, let it cool, and after your shower, rinse your hair with it and leave it in.
For acne, dry skin, or eczema, it’s worth drinking nettle infusions regularly. It contains pantothenic acid, which supports skin health.
It’s also worth trying if you suffer from hay fever. The anti-inflammatory properties of nettle can help ease symptoms.
The Vikings used to grow nettle for its strong fibre, used to make fabric.
Gardeners can also soak nettles in water for a few days and use the liquid as a natural fertilizer. There are many ways nettle can be put to use.
Nettle as Food
Let’s not forget stinging nettle as food! It’s a real spring and summer treat. The recipes and creations are endless. You can use it just like spinach—only with far more nutritional value. And it’s free! Don’t worry, it won’t sting once the leaves have been in hot water or crushed.
I like to use it in soups, quiche, bread, chips, or even battered and fried as snacks. To get the most out of the chlorophyll, though, you need to eat it raw. A fresh pesto is a great way, or juice it into a green shot—a true nutrition bomb! You can simply blend it with water, strain it, and drink. Or freeze it into ice cubes to keep some nettle power ready for the darker seasons.
Save the Seeds
In late summer, nettle produces seeds, which are also rich in minerals and vitamins—making them an excellent nutritional supplement. Harvest and dry them, store in jars, and sprinkle them over breakfasts.
The seeds contain phytoestrogens, which support hormonal balance—especially helpful during menopause. To extract these, make a cold oil infusion: let dried seeds sit in oil for about four weeks, strain, and store the oil in a cool, dark place. It can be taken as a supplement and may also help with vaginal dryness.
Honour the boundaries
Working with stinging nettle is also a practice in boundaries. The plant shows you clearly—it stings! But when you harvest it with presence and respect, you may not even need gloves. I sometimes choose to harvest with bare hands. It slows me down, and I often reflect on my own boundaries. I’ve noticed a pattern in myself—letting others cross my limits simply because I’m not fully present. Last year, I kept getting sick—one sneeze in the room and I was down for a week.
Of course, a weak immune system can have many causes, and it’s not always about boundaries. But for me, lying in bed with yet another flu, my close friend—who knows me painfully well—said, “You’re too borderless, too nice, and it won’t keep you nice. Be aware of this and work on it. You’ll probably get sick less often.”
That stayed with me. I began to connect it to my time with nettle, thanking her for showing me how to be more true to myself. The stinging nettle reminds me not just emotionally how to care for my immune system—she also offers the nutrition to support me, and anyone else who needs it.
Stay in touch.
All about Wild Herbs. Friends of plants here you can subscribe to my newsletter.
"In some native languages, the term for plants translates to - those who take care of us."
Robin Wall Kimmerer