Stinging Nettle, a versatile, beneficial herb

If you suffer from Austin’s Cedar Fever, you need to know about fresh Nettle Tincture.

Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica, is a common plant which grows in waste ground and likes to grow near human habitations. Nettle, also known as Stinging nettles, Common nettles or Small nettle is different from our Texas grown Bull nettle which is also commonly found in waste areas.

One of the identifying aspects of Nettle is the white, prickly fiber that grows along the stem. Therefore I grow my Nettle in very large clay pot so I can keep it isolated and the visitors to my garden do not get stung. I have noticed, however, that you can gently harvest the Nettle leaves, with bare hands, if you talk sweetly to the plant asking it’s permission for harvest and thanking it for all it’s many gifts.

So what are some of those gifts? Nettle is actually my favorite herb that I use the most (be careful I might say that about several herbs). Nettle is a tonic herb and it can be eaten as a food. Like spinach, or any other green, it can be steamed or stir-fried with garlic (YUM). Nettle is known as a Potherb. Nettle makes a delicious, earthy tea, which can be drunk anytime. It is loaded with nutrients such as Vitamins C, K, A, Iron, Calcium and Chlorophyll. This herb can benefit the entire body and is particularly good for anemia. Nettle also acts as a natural histamine so it can be used for asthma, other lung congestive problems and even Austin’s famous cedar fever.  You need to use the fresh plant to make an effective Nettle Tincture and not one made from the dried herb. Nettle also acts as an effective diuretic, helps to eliminate uric acid and reduces water retention. Nettle is ideal to drink during menstruation, as it not only reduces water retention but it is also effective for profuse menstruation. Nettle is an Alterative Herb as it acts to nourish and purify the blood. When I drink Nettle tea I feel that I am drinking the blood of Mother Earth.

These are just some of the medicinal benefits of Nettle. It can also be used as a green dye and the tough fibers of the stalk can be made into cloth. And if you do get a nettle sting, the juice of the plant itself, along with Yellow Dock, Rumex crispus, can be used as an antidote.

So never again think negatively of this incredible herb. With its stingers and all Nettle is so helpful to so many systems of the body, including the Respiratory System, the Urinary System and the Reproductive System. I like Nettle as a tea, but you can also use it as a tincture or even as a food.  If you want to plant your own, sow good quality seeds in the fall and you will have a great supply for many years.

 

 

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