Nettles on my knee. |
I was only recently introduced to the
surprising sting of the nettle plant on a hike in Larrabee State Park. I was walking along minding my own business when I suddenly felt a sharp nip in
my ankle. I stopped and squatted down to tend to the blood that was surely streaming
from my injury. But when I looked at the site of the sting, there wasn't a mark
to be found. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to express the pain I was
feeling from this phantom wound with my hiking partner, but the persistent
throbbing forced me to speak up.
“Oh, you just got stung by a nettle,” she said nonchalantly. I was
intrigued. We don’t have nettles in West Virginia and so I was completely taken
off guard with this predatory plant. The pain from the nettles feels like a
combination of a bee sting and electrotherapy. In other words, it’s not
pleasant. Each person’s reaction may be different, but for me it starts with an
initial sting, then a strange throbbing sensation and concludes with an itchy
rash reminiscent of poison ivy that lasts 3-4 days.
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Urtica dioica |
At closer look, the leaves and stems have many hairs called trichomes,
which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that
produce a stinging sensation when contacted by humans and other animals. Even more
shocking, nettles have a long history of being used for food and medicinal
purposes despite their hairy weapons.
When cooked, the flavor of nettle is similar to spinach and cucumber and
it is rich in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, manganese and calcium, making
it a highly nutritious plant source. Soaking nettles in water or cooking the
nettles will remove the stinging chemicals from the plant. You can use nettles
as an alternative to leafy greens in a variety of recipes, such as soups, pasta
and pesto. Nettles are also sometimes used to flavor some varieties of cheese and
the leaves may be steeped for tea.
Nettle leaf extract has been used to treat
arthritis and is an ingredient in shampoo to make hair appear more glossy. It also
acts as a diuretic with the intention to prevent kidney stones and urinary
tract infections.
I don’t know if the stinging nettle will
catch on to become the next kale, but I do know to keep my arms and legs on the
trails at all times.
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