Magus Books
Nettle - Cut & Sifted Herb - Organic
Urtica dioica
The plant is known as “stinging nettle” because of its hollow hairs (tricomes) on the leaves and stem that cause a stinging sensation upon contact. Originally native to Europe, nettles can now be found worldwide in wet environments and moist soils.
Urtica dioica is an herbaceous perennial in the Urticaceae family. The plant is known as “stinging nettle” because of its hollow hairs (tricomes) on the leaves and stem that cause a stinging sensation upon contact. Originally native to Europe, nettles can now be found worldwide in wet environments and moist soils. Nettle leaves are harvested in the spring, once the plant has had time to mature but before it goes into flower.
Nettle has been used worldwide for centuries in a variety of countries and cultures. It has been eaten as a wild food plant, applied topically to the skin, and drunk as an herbal tea. It was used extensively for its fibers and was woven into cloth. Nettle fibers were considered to be high quality and comparable to flax or hemp in Northern Europe.
Nettle is a dioecious, herbaceous, perennial plant. The soft, green leaves are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem and have a strongly serrated margin. The leaves and stems are very hairy with nonstinging hairs, and, in most subspecies, also bear many