Stinging Nettle Facts
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial herb that grows along stream banks, roadsides and in waste places across much of North America. It is an edible plant with medicinal properties. Does this Spark an idea?
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Identification
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Stinging nettle plants grow between 2 and 10 feet tall. They have square, unbranched stems that are covered in hair. The hairy, oval-shaped or elongated leaves grow opposite one another along the stem. Stinging nettle produces small greenish blossoms between June and September.
Features
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According to the Virginia Tech Department of Plant Pathology, the hairs on the foliage release formic acid, a substance that burns or stings the skin. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center indicates, however, that the uppermost leaves and early shoots are edible. They lose their stinging properties after cooking and may be added to soups or served as green vegetables.
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Benefits
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According to the Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses website, Native American tribes treated rheumatism with the stinging nettle herb and used a liquid extracted from its steeped roots as a treatment for stomach discomfort. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center indicates that stinging nettle is a larval host plant and a source of nectar for the Question Mark and Red Admiral butterfly species.
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