Nettle
Urtica dioica L.
Botanical family: Urticaceae
A stinging, cosmopolitan perennial (Urtica dioica, Urticaceae), nettle colonises soils rich in nitrogen around inhabited places, of which it is an indicator plant. Long scorned, it's a pillar of the living garden. It's harvested young and gloved, for the kitchen or the compost.
Partial shade
Rich, moist
Regular, moist rich soil
Very hardy
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
Traditionally used as a fertilising liquid manure. A host plant for many butterfly species (peacock, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, map, and several moths) and a refuge for many helpers: precious at the garden's edge.
Good companions
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
A perennial whose foliage dies back in winter and returns in spring; sown from March to July, leaves picked from spring until the frosts, and available dried in winter.
Available: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Réussir la culture de l'ortie » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/en/blogs/comment-reussir-la-culture-de/reussir-la-culture-de-lortie)
- Plants For A Future, « Urtica dioica » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Urtica+dioica)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Possible interactions with diuretics, lithium, anticoagulants, and diabetes medicines; caution in kidney failure, low blood pressure, pregnancy, or breastfeeding.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find nettle in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Species
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
European peasant traditions · France, central and northern Europe
European ethnobotany describes the nettle as a plant of the people: nicknamed 'the poor man's flax' (its fibre served to weave sheets and ropes before cotton), 'the meat of the destitute' (rich in protein, iron, vitamins), it grows where humans settle, it's an indicator plant of human presence and of nitrogen in the soil. The sting is not a bite but a warning: approach me with attention.
Pierre Lieutaghi, Le livre des bonnes herbes (1966, rééd. Actes Sud) ; François Couplan, Le régal végétal, Plantes sauvages comestibles.
Before you forage
This plant is often gathered from the wild. Only pick what is abundant, never a protected species, and never uproot a whole plant (roots) without the landowner's permission. Rules vary by country and region, check locally.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: rich, moist.
- • Classic companion: Tomato.