Let’s talk about one of my all-time favorite spring herbs to harvest, even though it has a bit of a prickly personality…
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). That same plant that stings when you brush against it on a trail. It’s actually one of the most powerful, nutrient-packed herbs you can gather in the spring. Once you get past the sting or, more accurately, once you learn how to handle it properly, you’ll find a gentle giant of the plant world.
Nettle is what we call a tonic herb, which means it’s safe enough to take daily over long periods of time, offering support for everything from inflammation and allergies to eczema, asthma, and autoimmune conditions. In our house, nettle is a go-to for support during pretty much any acute illness or chronic flare.
Traditional Uses For Stinging Nettle
Stinging Nettle was traditionally used by ancient Europeans to pull excess water from the body (diuretic property) and to ease joint pain (arthritis pain) by decreasing inflammation (anti-inflammatory). Today we know that it has a long list of medicinal properties that make it a highly valued herb.
Anti-allergenic: Stinging Nettle’s anti-allergenic property makes it helpful for supporting your body while it’s fighting allergies, and asthma triggered by allergies (allergic asthma).
Anti-inflammatory: One of the BEST herbs for decreasing whole body inflammation, it should be used in tea or tincture formed consistently for best results.
Antihistamine: Stinging nettle contains bioactive compounds that interfere with the release of histamine in the body, making it an excellent herb for allergy sufferers.
Mineralizer/Nutritive: It is a highly nutritious plant, rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Its young leaves are harvested, either cooked or dehydrated, and used in soups, stews, teas, and smoothies, providing a huge boost of essential nutrients, including vitamin A, C, vitamin K, calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Diuretic and Detoxifying: Its diuretic properties promote urination and help flush out toxins and waste products from the body, making it super beneficial as a cleansing and detoxifying herb for the kidneys and urinary system.
Benefits of Stinging Nettle
Few wild herbs can do what stinging nettle can in its ability to support human health. This nutrient-dense plant contains:
Vitamins: A, C, E, and B vitamins
Minerals: Iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium
Amino acids: Supporting muscle and tissue health
Chlorophyll: Supports detoxification and overall wellness
As listed in the previous section, there are many benefits to incorporating Stinging Nettle into your routine. Let’s elaborate on some systems that stinging nettle can help support:
Anti-Inflammatory Powerhouse
Stinging nettle is one of the best herbs for reducing systemic (whole body) inflammation. It’s widely used by those with autoimmune diseases, arthritis, and chronic pain conditions.
- Arthritis Relief: Stinging Nettle’s anti-inflammatory effects, make it helpful for conditions causing inflammation, such as arthritis, gout, and inflammatory bowel disease. It helps reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes.
Allergies and Respiratory Support
Suffer from springtime seasonal allergies? Nettle tea works as a natural antihistamine, helping to reduce sneezing, itching, and congestion. A daily cup of herbal tea made from dried nettle leaves is a great way to combat allergy symptoms.
Respiratory Conditions: Stinging Nettle can be hugely beneficial for respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties can help reduce inflammation in the airways to help make breathing more effective and comfortable.
Urinary Tract Support
Stinging nettle has diuretic properties, which means it’s great at helping to flush out toxins and support the urinary tract. It’s traditionally used for kidney health, bladder infections, and water retention.
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Stinging Nettle’s diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties can help alleviate symptoms of urinary tract infections, such as painful urination, frequent urination, and urinary urgency, especially when paired with other urinary supportive herbs like goldenrod and corn silk.
Blood-Building & Nutrient-Rich
As a leafy green, stinging nettle is an excellent source of iron, vitamin C, and amino acids, making it beneficial for those with anemia or low energy. However, overuse of nettles can deplete iron levels in some people and actually cause anemia, so consume it in moderation, or while working with an herbalist or holistic practitioner.
Anemia: It is super rich in iron and other nutrients essential for red blood cell production, potentially helping those with anemia. Wait a minute…didn’t I just say it can CAUSE anemia? Yep! You’ll find this to be the case with quite a few herbs. This falls under the category of too much of a good thing is a bad thing. If you use it responsibly it’s full of benefits. If you overuse it, it can cause issues.
Blood Sugar Regulation: Some studies suggest that Stinging Nettle may help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, making it beneficial for diabetics.
Skin & Hair Health
Many herbal remedies use stinging nettle for skin conditions like eczema and acne. Nettle leaf powder can be used in face masks, and nettle oil is an amazing base for skin care products, lip balms, and natural soap recipes, or it can be applied directly to the skin. Nettle tea can be used as a rinse for hair health as well.
Stinging Nettle can be very calming for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. Its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties can help reduce inflammation, itching, and redness when used in herbal products like infused oils, soaps, and salves.
Digestion & Gut Health
Stinging Nettle can be incredibly helpful with various digestive illnesses, discomforts, and disorders. From indigestion, bloating, gas, and constipation, to IBS and IBD, it supports digestive health by decreasing inflammation, mineralizing the body, and nourishing beneficial gut bacteria.
How to Identify & Forage Stinging Nettle
To harvest it, you have to know where to find it. It thrives on every continent except Antarctica…obviously. You can find it growing along small bodies of water, in compost piles, and at the edges of fields. The best time to harvest stinging nettle is in the spring season, before the plant flowers. Look for:
- Vibrant deep green leaves with serrated edges
- Hollow hairs on the undersides of the leaves and stems
- A tall, upright growth habit (older plants can reach several feet)
- A tingling or sting of nettles when touched with bare skin
- Foraging stinging nettle requires wearing gloves, long sleeves, and long pants to avoid the sting. The little hairs on the leaves and stems inject formic acid, histamine, and other compounds into the skin. In some people it can cause a reaction that can be an itch, in some it’s a mild burning skin reaction, in others it looks like hives.
New shoots and young tops are the most nutritious and tender. Use scissors to snip the young leaves and put them in a paper bag for easy transport.
Like all wild harvested herbs, there are places where you should never harvest nettle:
- Roadsides: They are commonly contaminated with pollutants you don’t want in your body.
Areas with chemical sprays: It doesn’t matter what they are spraying. Even if the chemical is “certified organic”, it still shouldn’t be applied to plants. Cyanide can be an organic compound too…it doesn’t mean it should be ingested.
- Contaminated water sources: Contaminated water means contaminated herbs.
- Cultivating Stinging Nettle in a Controlled Setting
Growing Stinging Nettle
While many people forage wild nettles, this plant can also be cultivated in rich soil. Growing stinging nettle at home gives you easy access to this medicinal herb while avoiding pollution concerns from wild foraging. Here are some tips to grow your own nettles at home successfully:
Choose a damp, shady area—nettles love small bodies of water nearby.
Plant from seeds or root divisions—these new plants spread aggressively!
Harvest carefully in early summer before flowering.
Leave some plants for reseeding to ensure next year’s harvest.
If you can’t find any and still want to stock it in your home apothecary, you can purchase it online. We grow most of the herbs we use, but when I do need to purchase herbs, I like to buy from Oshala Farms out of Oregon, US.
To learn how to create your own recipes or just snag mine, you can join my herbal membership, The Herbal Collective. Members get all my recipes, ebooks, and workshops for free, to understand how to use the herbs you grow and forage.
Best Ways to Use Stinging Nettle
Stinging Nettle can be incorporated into your daily routine in various forms for you to benefit from its nutritional and herbal benefits:
Infusions / Tea: Stinging Nettle tea is made by steeping dried nettle leaves in hot water (a standard infusion). It has a mild flavor and can be enjoyed on its own or blended with other herbs for additional benefits and flavor.
Tincture: Stinging Nettle tinctures are concentrated forms of the herb that can be taken orally by adding the dose to water or juice.
Capsules: Stinging Nettle supplements are also available in capsule form. This option provides a fixed amount of nettles for consistent results.
Culinary Preparation: The tender spring Nettles are the most beneficial for nutritive and mineralizing benefits. Picking them fresh and sauteing them to eliminate the stinging should be done first before consuming them. If you are after the nutritional and mineralizing benefits of stinging nettle, eating fresh nettled prepared in this way is the best way to achieve that.
Infused Oil: Infusing dried nettles into an oil medium like olive, jojoba, or grapeseed oil, pulls all of the herb’s properties into the oil. That oil can be used for topical use, or used as a base for skincare or beauty products.
Precautions and Warnings
While Stinging Nettle is generally considered safe for most people when consumed in moderate amounts, there are some precautions to keep in mind:
Skin Irritation: Stinging Nettle leaves and stems are covered in tiny hairs that can sting and cause skin irritation upon contact. Be sure to handle the plant with gloves when harvesting and preparing it.
Interactions: Stinging Nettle may interact with certain medications, including blood thinners and drugs affecting blood pressure or blood sugar. It’s important to consult with your medical team before using Stinging Nettle, especially if you are taking prescription medications or have underlying health conditions.
- Excessive use may lead to anemia due to its diuretic effect.
Stinging Nettle is an extremely versatile herb with a long list of benefits and historical uses. It may be famous for its sting, but beneath its prickly exterior is a wealth of herbal goodness! As with any herbal supplement, it’s important to discuss the use of Stinging Nettle with your medical team to ensure its safe and effective use.
If you’re new to working with wild greens, grab a field guide, wear gloves, and start experimenting with this medicinal herb. Whether you brew nettle tea, make nettle oil, or a supporting tincture blend, you’ll love the potential this herb has for you.
What’s your favorite way to use stinging nettle? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!
Stinging Nettle is a key herb in my respiratory recovery tea blend that we drink anytime there’s a respiratory illness spreading through our family, or anytime my asthma flares.
Learn how to make it in this YouTube video.
