We have two native species of nettle in the British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic off the north-western coast of continental Europe that consist of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and over six thousand smaller isles. They have a total area of about 315,159 km² and a combined population o…British Isles
Urtica
Urtica is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles, although the latter name applies particularly to Urtica dioica.
Where do Nettles come from?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. Urtica dioica, often called common nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and introduced elsewhere.
How common is stinging nettle?
Common. A very common plant, the stinging nettle can be found growing in gardens, hedgerows, fields, woodlands and many other habitats. Its preference for damp, fertile and disturbed ground makes it a good coloniser of places enriched by human activities, such as agriculture and development.
Are Nettles edible in North America?
The third plant to review in the nettle family is clearweed ( Pilea pumila) — also found in eastern North America. I have read that it is edible and people have foraged and eaten this plant — mistakenly thinking they were harvesting stinging nettle.
Who introduced the nettle to Great Britain?
There is a common idea in Great Britain that the nettle was introduced by the Romans. [77] The idea was mentioned by William Camden in his book Britannia of 1586. [78] However, in 2011, an early Bronze Age burial cist on Whitehorse Hill, [79] [80] Dartmoor, Devon was excavated. The cist dated from between 1730 and 1600 BC.
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When did nettles come to Britain?
Nettles are interesting for their use in Roman medicine, and Urtica urens (small nettle) was introduced to Britain in the Late Bronze Age (Preston et al. 2004).
Is nettle native to the UK?
A rhizomatous to stoloniferous perennial, common nettle is abundant and generally distributed in the UK and is recorded up to 2,700 ft. It is native on riverbanks and in hedgerows, grassy places, near buildings and where the ground is littered with rubble.
Did the Romans bring stinging nettles to Britain?
The Romans even brought animals, like rabbits to Britain. And stinging nettles too! The Romans also built temples to worship their many gods - like Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and Venus.
How did nettles come to England?
STINGING NETTLES Nettles have a long history as a treatment for rheumatism and muscle pain like sciatica. The Romans are credited with bringing seeds of this plant with them into Britain; by flogging themselves with the plants, they apparently kept warm in the colder northern climate.
Are Stinging nettles invasive UK?
This week's plant in our Wednesday Weed series is the stinging nettle. Fierce, invasive but full of goodness. In this weekly series, we take a quick look at common garden weeds. How they grow, what benefits they bring to the garden, and how to manage them.
What plants are native to the UK?
Browse our list of British native wildflowers, below.Ox-eye daisy.Ragged robin.Corn cockle.Corn marigold.Bellflower.Betony.Hemp agrimony.Viper's bugloss.More items...•
What's the difference between nettles and stinging nettles?
Stinging nettle is the name given to common nettle, garden nettle, and hybrids of these plants. Originally from the colder regions of northern Europe and Asia, this herbaceous shrub grows all over the world today.
What did the Romans steal from Britain?
They were also seeking natural resources, such as precious metals, slaves, and farmland. Britain had lots of materials including iron, lead, copper, silver, and gold that the Romans needed to support their growing empire and army.
What purpose do nettles serve?
Because it's rich in nitrogen, this is particularly useful for leafy vegetables like kale, chard and spinach. You can also cut nettles to lay, as they are, around larger plants or shrubby fruits, where they will serve as a valuable mulch. Their high nitrogen content also makes them a natural compost activator.
What happens if you touch stinging nettle?
Nettles are plants with sharp hairs on their leaves. If you touch them, these hairs inject irritants into the skin, making it itchy, red and swollen.
Where is nettles native to?
Stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a flowering plant that is found worldwide. It is native to northern Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe.
Are nettles good for the environment?
Clumps of stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) also provide food and shelter for more than 40 species of insects, which are completely or partially dependent on nettles. They are important also for certain butterflies - for example, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and the Comma.
Where is nettles native to?
Stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a flowering plant that is found worldwide. It is native to northern Africa, North America, Asia, and Europe.
Is Sorrel native to the UK?
Sorrel (Common) Rumex acetosa It contains high levels of oxalic acid which gives its leaves a distinctive acid taste. As well as being a fine addition to food, common sorrel is also a lovely sight in summer when it blooms with small, pinkish flowers. It is native to the UK.
What is a nettle in England?
Stinging or common nettles (Urtica dioica) are widespread across the U.K. They can be found in woodlands, hedgerows, gardens and disturbed ground. They tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions, though they seem to like moisture and soils rich in nitrate and phosphate.
Where do stinging nettles originate from?
Stinging nettle is the name given to common nettle, garden nettle, and hybrids of these plants. Originally from the colder regions of northern Europe and Asia, this herbaceous shrub grows all over the world today.
What is the scientific name for stinging nettle?
Stinging nettle. Scientific name: Urtica dioica. The stinging nettle is a familiar and common plant, often firmly rooted in our memories after our first, hands-on experience - a prickling irritation that's not forgotten easily!
How to identify stinging nettle?
To avoid the more painful way of identifying a stinging nettle, look for the hairs on its stem, its drooping, catkin flowers, and oval, toothed leaves.
Where are nettles grown?
Until recently nettles were cultivated in Scotland, Denmark and Norway for use in the food, textile and medicinal industries. According to Bown (1995), plants are harvested commercially for the extraction of chlorophyll for use as a colouring agent and in foods and medicines. Dried nettle leaves and extracts are available from many herbal outlets. Seeds of U. dioica also seem to be widely available, and plants are often raised and traded locally for their useful food, medicine and butterfly-rearing properties, especially in countries like New Zealand where it is not so widely distributed ( Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust, 2015 ).
How to prevent nettle infestations in grasslands?
To prevent nettle infestations of grasslands, Natural England (1999) recommend avoiding the creation of bare ground and avoiding nutrient enrichment.
Where do dioicas come from?
dioica appears to have been widespread in most of its current range for a very long time, although some reports of its appearance or that of different subspecies in North America, Australia and New Zealand may be related to European settlement of those countries. The first record from Australia was in 1912 ( Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, 2015 ), and from New Zealand in 1877 ( Thomson, 1922 ). Taylor (2009) suggested that the species had increased in southern England in recent decades. Carey et al. (2008) in their UK Countryside Survey reported that U. dioica was one of the ten species that had increased most between 1998 and 2007 and had become the most abundant dicotyledonous plant recorded in the Survey, at least partly the result of reduced farm maintenance.
Does nettle pollen cause hay fever?
Hyde (1959) found that the amount of nettle pollen present in the air in Cardiff, UK, approached that of grass pollen and was possibly a significant cause of hay fever. Nettle plants produce abundant seed. Those growing in full sunlight produce 10,000-20,000 seeds per shoot ( Bassett et al., 1977 ).
Is the red admiral butterfly endemic?
In New Zealand, the endemic New Zealand red admiral butterfly ( Bassari s gonerilla) is restricted to species of Urtica, but has been in decline since 1928 ( Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust, 2015 ), probably in part due to a reduction in populations of the endemic New Zealand tree nettle U. ferox.
Is Urtica dioica invasive?
Although Urtica dioica is distributed widely in many parts of the world, it is considered invasive because of its nuisance value even within its native range, particularly in waste places, especially since its stinging hairs can cause painful welts on human and possibly animal skin. In some circumstances it can be very hard to eradicate because of its large root mass which allows it to spread vegetatively once it has established. In some countries it invades and takes up space in grassland, where it can form very large, often monospecific patches, and it can also be a nuisance in urban areas, especially in nitrogen-rich habitats.
Where is wood nettle native to?
Less well known is wood nettle ( Laportea canadensis) which is native to the eastern half of North America. It, too, is prized by foragers as food and medicine. Clearweed (Pilea pumila) The third plant to review in the nettle family is clearweed ( Pilea pumila) — also found in eastern North America.
What is the most common nettle?
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) Probably the most commonly known and recognized member of the Nettle Family ( Urticaceae) is stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ). Many folks know of its medicinal and edible qualities and enjoy foraging for it.
How to tell stinging nettle from wood nettle?
Since both stinging nettle and wood nettle look so much alike — and both protect themselves with stinging hairs — how can we tell these two plants apart? The most obvious difference is the orientation of the leaves along the stems. Stinging nettle’s leaves are opposite each other.
What family is Clearweed in?
All three plants are in the Nettle Family. And each has been assigned to a different genus ( Urtica, Laportea and Pilea ). When we look at the leaves we can see how very similar they are in shape. Clearweed’s leaves are smooth and somewhat glossy while both stinging nettle and wood nettle have “rougher” looking leaves. Clearweed.
What is the history of stinging nettle?
HISTORY OF STINGING NETTLE. Stinging nettle is considered by many to be a bothersome pest, but the nettle has been used since ancient times as a source of food, fiber, and medicinal preparations. In Denmark, burial shrouds made of nettle fabrics have been discovered that date back to the Bronze Age (3000-2000 BC).
What was the German nettle used for?
During World War I, the German Empire, plagued by textile shortages, used nettles as a substitute for cotton. Captured German uniforms were found to be 85% nettle fiber. Stinging nettle is one of the richest sources of chlorophyll in the vegetable kingdom. A decoction of the plant has been used to produce a green dye for clothing for centuries.
Why is stinging nettle used in the spring?
It is rich in vitamins and minerals and has traditionally been used primarily in the spring time to stimulate slow winter blood.
What is the use of nettle infusion?
In ancient Egypt reports are found of the use of nettle infusion for the relief of arthritis and lumbago pains. A standard practice of flogging oneself with the fresh nettle plant, called urtification, was prescribed to treat such illnesses as chronic rheumatism, lethargy, coma, paralysis, and even typhus, and cholera.
Is nettle used for urtification?
Modern medicinal uses of nettle are not much different than that of the past. People today still practice urtification, and clinical studies have investigated its use in treating many medical conditions, including allergic rhinitis, rheumatic complaints, eczema, anemia, bleeding (both internally and externally), and acute arthritis. It is in demand as a treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), high blood pressure, and urinary tract infections. It is used in treating skin eruptions and freeze-dried as a treatment for hay fever and allergies. It is also being promoted as a textile product once again.
Who used nettle for healing?
Documentation or anecdotal reports of its use in this way have been found among the Ecuador Indians, ancient Romans, and Canadian and American native tribes. Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) and his followers reported 61 remedies using nettle.
Is nettle a potherb?
The young and tender nettle is an excellent potherb. The stalks of the old nettle are as good as flax for making cloth. I have heard my mother say that she thought nettle cloth more durable than any other species of linen.”. The infusion was found to be helpful in increasing milk production, both in humans and in cows.
Why did Roman soldiers use nettle?
They used it to keep themselves warm by beating themselves with the stinging plants. As someone who studies Roman plant remains, this is a pretty amusing picture. But I was also a bit confused why I had never come across this in any of the archaeological material I read during my research.
Who was the author of the nettle story?
Homer discusses how the nettle story was described by William Camden as originating with John Parkinson, the Elizabethan herbalist. In his historical survey of Great Britain, ( Britannia 1586), Camden describes how Parkinson linked Urtica romana with Romney, Kent by arguing that Julius Caesar landed there in 54 BC. The Roman soldiers apparently bought seeds with them to sow, so they could use the plants to keep warm. Camden disagrees with Parkinson on 2 points. Firstly, Roman nettle grew in several coastal locations in the late 16 th century, and not just Romney. Secondly, Caesar didn’t land in Romney, so the story can’t be true. If Camden knew that the story was false over 400 years ago, how is it still accepted?
Overview
Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand and North America. The speci…
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of Urtica species has been confused, and older sources are likely to use a variety of systematic names for these plants. Formerly, more species were recognised than are now accepted. However, at least six clear subspecies of U. dioica are described, some formerly classified as separate species:
• U. dioica subsp. dioica (European stinging nettle), from Europe, Asia, and nort…
Distribution and habitat
U. dioica is considered to be native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa. It is abundant in northern Europe and much of Asia, usually found in the countryside. It is less widespread in southern Europe and north Africa, where it is restricted by its need for moist soil, but is still common. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world. In North America, it is widel…
Ecology
Nettles are the larval food plant for several species of butterflies, such as the peacock butterfly, comma (Polygonia c-album), and the small tortoiseshell. It is also eaten by the larvae of some moths including angle shades, buff ermine, dot moth, the flame, the gothic, grey chi, grey pug, lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing, mouse moth, setaceous Hebrew character, and small angle shades. …
Cultivation
Three cultivation techniques can be used for the stinging nettle: 1) direct sowing, 2) growing seedlings in nurseries with subsequent transplantation and 3) vegetative propagation via stolons or head cuttings.
1. Direct sowing: The seedbed should have a loose and fine structure, but should be reconsolidated using a packer roller imminently prior to sowing. Sowing time can be either in autumn or in sprin…
Sting and treatment
Urtica dioica produces its inflammatory effect on skin (stinging, burning sensation often called "contact urticaria") both by impaling the skin via spicules – causing mechanical irritation – and by biochemical irritants, such as histamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine, among other chemicals. Anti-itch drugs, usually in the form of creams containing antihistamines or hydrocortisone, may provide reli…
Uses
U. dioica has a flavour similar to spinach when cooked. Young plants were harvested by Native Americans and used as a cooked plant in spring when other food plants were scarce. Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without injury. After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-sett…
Culture
In Great Britain and Ireland, U. dioica and the annual nettle Urtica urens are the only common stinging plants and have found a place in several figures of speech in the English language. Shakespeare's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" (Henry IV, Part 1, Act II Scene 3). The figure of speech "to grasp the nettle" probably originated from Aesop's fable "The Boy and the Nettle". In Seán O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, one of the characters qu…