Plant · P-028

Stinging Nettle

Urtica dioica

Stinging nettle carries fine hollow hairs on its stems and leaves that deliver a sharp, short-lived sting on contact, but cooking or drying destroys that sting completely and turns the plant into one of the most nutrient-dense leafy greens around, rich in iron and vitamins A and C. Traditional use runs deep: dried leaf and root turn up in remedies for hay fever, joint pain and an enlarged prostate, and the tough stem fibers can be spun into cloth much like flax. It spreads by rhizome into large, permanent patches on damp, rich ground, which makes it a steady source of compost material and liquid feed but a plant that needs a firm boundary once it takes hold. It relies on wind rather than insects for pollination, yet at least thirty insect species feed on its leaves.