what does the nettle plant look like

Full Answer

What is nettle good for?

Potential benefits

• Nutrition. Because nettles contain numerous important vitamins and minerals, consuming nettle tea may help people get more of them.
• Arthritis. ...
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia. ...
• Seasonal allergies. ...

How much stinging nettle should you take?

Stinging nettles are medicinal plants, and should be consumed carefully. It is important not to exceed four cups of stinging nettle tea per day, and it should not be taken for longer than four to six weeks. Too much stinging nettle can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, sweating and skin rash.

How to treat nettle stings fast?

Things you need to do:

• Take 1 tbsp of tea tree oil.
• Directly apply the oil on the rash.
• Gently rub for around 5 minutes.
• Leave it as it is for roughly 45 minutes.
• Then rinse off the affected region with cool water.
• Repeat this stinging nettle treatment 2 times every day.

What do Nettles Sting look like?

What are Nettles and what do they look like? They are usually light green or tan, and are apt to look rather messy and tangled. Nettles have both ordinary and stinging hairs on stems, leaf petioles (stem part of a leaf) and undersides of the leaves. Stinging hairs are longer, about 1 millimeter long, and tend to stick out aggressively.

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What is nettle plant used for?

General Uses Stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. Today, many people use it to treat urinary problems during the early stages of an enlarged prostate (called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH).

Where do nettles grow?

It occurs in moist sites along streams, meadow, and ditches, on mountain slopes, in woodland clearings, and in disturbed areas. Stinging nettle generally grows on deep, rich, moist soil and doesn't do well in areas of drought.

How can you tell if a nettle sting is edible?

Stinging nettle will grow in dense clusters, and stalks can reach 5-8 feet at maturity. Leaves are about 2-5 inches long with jagged edges, found in opposing pairs along the upper half of the stalk. Leaves are pointed at the tips, with a heart-shaped base and indented veins.

What happens when you touch a 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.

Can you eat raw nettle?

It's the simplest way of getting nettle into your body, but you can also cook it into larger dishes or even apply it topically if you have a skin irritation. Because the stings have to remain firm to cause the irritation, cooking the leaf instantly makes them safe – don't try to eat the leaf raw in a salad or anything.

Are nettles edible?

Both Wood Nettle and Stinging Nettle are edible, nutritious plants you can find in backyards and woodlands.

How do you pick stinging nettles without getting stung?

Nettle-Picking Tips Use rubber gloves or pinch the leaves hard, so you don't get stung. Once picked, lay the nettles out on a tray to wilt. Once wilted they can no longer sting you.

Does stinging nettle help arthritis?

There's little evidence available on the use of nettle leaves for osteoarthritis: one study suggested a positive effect in the short-term treatment of osteoarthritis of the thumb but another found no beneficial effect in the short-term treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee.

How long does it take for stinging nettle to go away?

Nettle stings can be itchy and you may feel a stinging or burning sensation. This will usually settle down within a few minutes or a few days and you can often treat them yourself.

Who should not drink nettle tea?

Pregnant peopleInteractions. Pregnant people should not take nettle or drink nettle tea. Due to a lack of research, children under the age of 12 years should also avoid nettle. It is important that people with existing conditions and those who take certain medications speak with a healthcare professional before trying nettle.

What neutralizes a nettle sting?

If you really want to neutralise the effect of the nettle sting's acid and dock leaves don't work for you, try treating it with soap, milk or a dilute solution of baking soda, all of which are alkaline.

Do nettles sting if you grab them?

Nettles are covered with tiny hollow hairs, filled with irritating chemicals. When you brush against these hairs, the tip breaks off and releases these chemicals, causing the sting. To harvest nettles with bare hands, you'll need to learn to touch the plant without breaking the hairs.

Where does stinging nettle grow in the US?

Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, is native to North America, including California and other western U. S. states.

Is there a difference between stinging nettle and nettle?

Nettle leaf tea is derived from the leaves of the common nettle plant, also known as the stinging nettle. The scientific name for this plant is Urtica dioica. The 'stinging' moniker is apt, as handling the plant with exposed skin is known to produce a burning sensation that persists after contact.

Is stinging nettle poisonous to touch?

Stinging Nettle, a native plant, is also known to cause skin reactions. This plant is covered in small hairs; and when touched those hairs “sting” with a nasty blend of histamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and formic acid.

Why do nettles sting?

Both the stems and the leaves of stinging nettles are covered by structures that look like hairs but are delicate and hollow. These “hairs” act like needles when they come into contact with the skin. Chemicals flow through them into the skin, which causes a stinging sensation and a rash.

How tall does a burning nettle grow?

Burning nettle, also known as small nettle or annual nettle, generally reaches heights of 5 to 24 inches (12.5 to 61 cm). It is native to Europe. Stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica ), native to North America, is a much taller plant that can grow as tall as 3 to 10 feet (.9 to 3 m.), but can reach heights of 20 feet ...

When do stinging nettles bloom?

Otherwise, the two plants share many similarities. Burning nettle germinates in a span of time from late autumn to early spring and blooms in winter and spring, although plants may produce greenish-yellow flowers all year in mild climates. Stinging nettle seeds germinate in spring and blooms appear from spring until autumn. Both nettle types display leaves covered with long, bristly hairs.

How long is a stinging nettle?

It has a single carpel and the stigma is brush-like. Inflorescence is catkin-like, 4–8 cm (1.6–3.2") long. Fields of Nutrition has medicinal benefits and vitamin/mineral content of Stinging Nettle.

What are the tiny hairs on stinging nettles?

Sharp, stinging, tiny hairs encompass this entire plant. Stinging nettles have tiny , fuzzy-like white flowers. This plant has a spinach-like taste.#N#Caution: When collecting stinging nettle always cover up all exposed skin. The swollen base of each tiny, hollow hair contains a droplet of formic acid. When the hair tip pierces the skin, the acid makes it into the skin causing anywhere from an annoying itch or burning that can last several minutes or a couple of days. Rubbing the stings with stinging nettle root or jewelweed has been used to suppress the itch/burning sensation.

How many stamens does a pistillate flower have?

This is a dioecious (staminate and pistillate flowers on different plants) plant with very small flowers. Staminate flower is greyish yellow: four tepals (like sepals). The flowers have four stamens and yellow anthers. Pistillate flower has four tepals in different-sized pairs, are greyish green and hairy. It has a single carpel and the stigma is brush-like. Inflorescence is catkin-like, 4–8 cm (1.6–3.2") long.

What is nettle used for?

Stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. Fibrous stems of mature plants can be used to make twine, fishing nets, snares and other items. Nettles were traditionally dried and fed to livestock throughout winter.

Can you eat stinging nettle leaves?

Young leaves are preferable however, no matter how far into the growing season be sure to remember that until dried or cooked, stinging nettle leaves will have those stinging hairs – never eat them raw!

Is nettle a food source?

Originally from Europe and Asia, this plant has sharp hairs that break easily and can irritate or sting when the plant is touched; however it is a vitamin-rich food source as well as a remedy for various medical conditions.

Can you use nettles for spinach?

Nettles make an excellent spinach substitute and can also be added to soups and stews. Nettle beer is brewed from the young shoots. Nettle root is used for medicinal purposes including enlarged prostate and when there is difficulty in urination due to BPH. Nettle tea made from the root can help urinary ailments.

How to tell if a plant is stinging nettle?

A person can usually tell by looking at its leaf shape and structure.

What is stinging nettle?

Here’s our process. Stinging nettle is a popular herbal remedy with many uses, ranging from reducing arthritis pain to treating seasonal allergies. What are the benefits of stinging nettle, and what does the research say? Stinging nettle has a range of uses, and many people find it to be an effective remedy.

What are the chemicals in stinging nettle hair?

Stinging nettle hairs also contain a range of other chemicals that can affect humans, including acetylcholine and serotonin. Ancient civilizations used stinging nettles to treat various ailments. For example, Ancient Egyptians used stinging nettle infusions to treat arthritis. Trusted Source.

Why do people use stinging nettle?

Scientists are not yet sure how it has this effect, though some suggest it is because the nettle can reduce allergy-related inflammation in the body. Seasonal allergies occur when a substance such as pollen triggers the body to produce histamine.

What are the side effects of stinging nettle?

Stinging nettle is a safe herb to consume in moderate amounts. However, side effects can include: 1 stomach problems 2 urinary issues 3 sweating 4 hives or rashes 5 diarrhea

What is the name of the plant that grows in damp soil?

Stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, is a common plant that grows in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It primarily grows in damp, fertile soil. The nettle has sharp hairs on its leaves. These hairs contain chemicals, such as formic acid and histamine, that can irritate the skin and cause stinging, itching, and redness.

Does nettle cause allergies?

According to some research, stinging nettle may disrupt the allergy process by inhibiting the body’s histamine production and related inflammation.

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 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.

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 leaves alternate on the stem?

Wood nettle’s leaves alternate on the stem.

What color do nettle leaves turn?

Nettle leaves also make a greenish dye, while the roots were used traditionally as for yellow dye.

What is the name of the nettle that grows in the shade?

Our native wood nettle ( Laportea canadensis) has similar qualities, though it favors the shade of forest canopy and grows in more sparsely populated colonies.

How to cook nettle leaves?

Cooking. Prepare nettle leaves as you would spinach — lightly steamed, sautéed, in stir-fries, soups, etc. Or try making fresh stinging nettle pasta. Be careful not to overcook which will destroy nettle's nutritional qualities and result in an unappealing mush.

How tall do stinging nettles grow?

It's considered an aggressive invasive and has become established and common in certain areas. Nettles grow 2 to 5 feet tall and have opposite leaves.

What is the stinging nettle?

Stinging nettles ( Urtica dioica) Smaller, younger leaves are more heart-shaped. True to its name, stinging nettle imparts a painful sting through tiny hairs on the underside of its leaves and on its stems. The stinging hairs, called trichomes, are hollow like hypodermic needles with protective tips. The tips break off when touched, unsheathing the ...

How to make a nettle infusion?

Or for a stronger brew, make an infusion by loosely filling a Mason jar with nettle leaves, cover with boiling water, cover the jar, and let steep overnight.

How much calcium is in stinging nettle?

According to the USDA's food nutrient database, 100 g of blanched stinging nettle has an average of 481 mg of calcium and 6.9 g of fiber. That's 37% of the daily value for calcium and 25% for fiber, according to nutritionvalue.org.

How do you know if you are allergic to nettles?

The symptoms of a severe allergic reaction to stinging nettles are: tightness in the chest or throat. difficulty breathing. wheezing. swe lling in the mouth, including the tongue or lips. a rash in areas that haven’t come into contact with the nettles (this can be all over the body) stomach cramps. vomiting. diarrhea.

What is stinging nettle rash?

Overview. Stinging nettle rash occurs when the skin comes into contact with stinging nettles. Stinging nettles are plants that are commonly found in many areas of the world. They have herbal properties and grow in the same places every year. Both the stems and the leaves of stinging nettles are covered by structures that look like hairs ...

How long does it take for a stinging nettle rash to go away?

If the rash doesn ’t disappear within 24 hours, you may be having a severe reaction. The rash isn’t contagious, but it can be extremely uncomfortable if the reaction is severe. Scratching can also lead to infection of the area, which will require further treatment. An allergic reaction to one of the chemicals in the stinging nettle is ...

What chemicals are released by stinging nettles?

Chemicals flow through them into the skin, which causes a stinging sensation and a rash. The chemicals released by stinging nettles include: histamine. acetylcholine. serotonin. leukotrienes.

Can you crush nettle leaves?

If you crush some of the leaves and apply them to the skin, it can provide relief. There is no scientific evidence to support this practice, but it’s been widely used as a treatment for stinging nettle rash for hundreds of years. Avoid hot temperatures and scratching, as these can further irritate the area.

Can stinging nettles cause rash?

A stinging sensation is usually felt upon contact with the nettles. Afterward, the rash commonly feels itchy. In rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to stinging nettles.

Can stinging nettle rash be life threatening?

An allergic reaction to one of the chemicals in the stinging nettle is the most severe complication of stinging nettle rash and can be life-threatening.

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Description

• Flowers: Stinging nettle is a dioecious (staminate and pistillate flowers on different plants) plant with very small flowers. Staminate flower is greyish yellow: four tepals (like sepals). The flowers have four stamens and yellow anthers. Pistillate flower has four tepals in different-sized pairs, are greyish green and hairy. It has a single carpel...

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