# Plant Monograph: Nettle
**Name of plant:**
Stinging Nettle
**Catch phrase (Carmina Gadelica or traditional invocation if available):**
No specific Carmina Gadelica invocation is recorded for Nettle. In Celtic and European folk tradition, Nettle was regarded as a plant of protection, resilience, and nourishment, often gathered in spring as one of the first strengthening foods after winter.
**Family:**
Urticaceae (Nettle Family)
**Genus and species:**
*Urtica dioica* L.
**Other names:**
* Stinging Nettle
* Common Nettle
* Great Nettle
* Burn Nettle
* Devil's Leaf
* Common Stingweed
* Teartear (Scots)
* Feanntag (Scottish Gaelic)
* Ortie (French)
* Nettlewort
* Hegg
**Brief introduction:**
Nettle is a hardy perennial herb native to Europe, Asia, North Africa, and North America. It grows in nutrient-rich soils and is recognized by its serrated leaves covered with stinging hairs. Despite its painful sting, Nettle is one of the most nutritious medicinal plants known, rich in vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, and bioactive compounds. It has long served as both a food and a medicine throughout Europe and beyond.
**Traditional uses:**
* Spring tonic after winter
* Treatment for joint pain and rheumatism
* Support for urinary tract health
* Blood-building and nourishment
* Treatment for seasonal allergies and hay fever
**Historical use:**
* Consumed as a nutritious vegetable throughout Europe
* Used as a source of textile fiber before widespread cotton cultivation
* Applied externally through urtication (intentional stinging) for arthritis
* Employed by traditional healers as a blood purifier
* Gathered as an important famine and survival food
**Parts used and method of use:**
* Leaves and aerial parts
* Root
Used as:
* Infusion (tea)
* Fresh cooked food
* Tincture
* Capsules and extracts
**Use in healing (modern herbal practice):**
* Nutritive tonic rich in vitamins and minerals
* Support for seasonal allergic rhinitis
* Adjunctive support for benign prostatic hyperplasia (root)
* Mild diuretic for urinary tract support
* Support for inflammatory joint conditions
**Pharmacology and biochemistry:**
* Flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, kaempferol)
* Minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium, silica)
* Phenolic compounds, lectins, and polysaccharides
Mechanisms:
* Anti-inflammatory activity through modulation of inflammatory mediators
* Mild diuretic action supporting urinary elimination
* Nutritional replenishment through exceptionally high mineral and vitamin content
Overall profile:
Nettle is both a medicinal herb and a highly nutritious food. It combines anti-inflammatory, nutritive, mild diuretic, and immunomodulatory properties. Modern research supports many traditional uses, particularly for allergies, urinary tract health, and prostate support.
**Common dosage:**
* Infusion: 2–4 g dried leaf per cup, up to 3 times daily
* Tincture (1:5): 2–5 mL, 2–3 times daily
* Dried leaf capsules: 300–1000 mg daily
* Root extract: 300–600 mg daily (often standardized preparations)
**Safety factors (including side effects):**
* Generally regarded as very safe when properly prepared
* Fresh plant may cause skin irritation and stinging
* Mild gastrointestinal upset may occur in sensitive individuals
* Use caution with significant kidney disease unless professionally supervised
* Long-term use is generally considered safe at normal therapeutic doses
**First aid / adverse reaction response:**
* Skin sting: Wash area and apply a cool compress
* Mild rash: Discontinue exposure and use topical soothing measures
* Gastrointestinal upset: Reduce dosage or discontinue use
* Severe allergic reaction: Seek immediate medical attention
**Drug interactions:**
* Possible additive effects with diuretic medications
* Potential interaction with antihypertensive medications
* Possible influence on blood glucose levels when combined with antidiabetic drugs
* General interaction considerations: Monitor when used alongside medications affecting fluid balance, blood pressure, or blood sugar
**Horticultural requirements:**
* USDA / Canadian zone: 3–10
* Soil pH: 5.5–7.5
* Light requirements: Full sun to partial shade
* Moisture: Moist, fertile soils preferred
* Other notes (growth habit, harvest timing, etc.):
* Rhizomatous perennial often forming large colonies
* Produces inconspicuous green flowers from late spring through summer
* Young leaves harvested in spring before flowering for culinary use
* Common along streams, woodland edges, fields, and disturbed ground
* Easily propagated by division, rhizomes, or seed
**Sampling of clinical reports / studies:**
* Clinical studies support the use of Nettle leaf for seasonal allergic rhinitis
* Research demonstrates benefits of Nettle root extracts in benign prostatic hyperplasia
* Phytochemical studies confirm high levels of minerals, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharides
* Ethnobotanical evidence documents widespread medicinal and nutritional use throughout Europe, Asia, and North America
* Overall assessment of evidence: Strong traditional use supported by a substantial body of pharmacological and clinical research, particularly for allergy management, prostate health, and nutritional supplementation. Nettle remains one of the best-supported medicinal food plants in modern herbal practice.
Educational Use Only: The information presented on this page is provided for educational, historical, and informational purposes only. ArdNemeton na Tuatha and Bhùth Draoi do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician and pharmacist before using any herb, mushroom, supplement, or botanical product for medicinal purposes. Traditional uses described herein do not constitute medical claims.