| |
Nettles are in a very small
family, Urticaceae, most of whose members have stings.
Nettle leaves¹ stinging is accomplished with hollow hairs (like
microscopic hypodermic needles) which exude formic acid when brushed
against. An irritating rash may appear on one¹s skin, its severity
depending on the sensitivity of the ³victim.² Some people have red,
burning sores for days. Some people say they don¹t feel a thing! And
some arthritis sufferers purposely subject themselves to nettle stings
as a treatment for arthritic pain for days. We are told the coastal
whale hunters thrashed they skins with nettles when setting out in their
canoes to capture whales. It is assumed this was to help them stay
awake on long voyages, but there may be other explanations.
Net and nettles come from the same
root word, nettles providing the cording used to make fish
nets, snares, and traps. The long fibers in these plants¹ 6-8¹ stems
make excellent cords, either twisted or braided. The stems are
harvested in late summer to early fall and flattened and peeled to
reveal the inner fibers. The PNW¹s First Nations had their favorite
gathering spots for nettles, as some patches produce strong, tall
stalks, and other patches small, weak stalks.
We take nettles for granted,
but they¹re interesting in so many ways. Nettles bear male and female
flowers, usually on different plants (thus the name dioicia). It is
said if one is watching in the early morning, one will see the male
flowers puffing pale gold pollen into the air for the female flowers to
catch. We avoid touching them for good reason and most people clearing a
home or garden plot would dig them out and toss them. But in European
countries they are actually cultivated in kitchen gardens for their
important contribution to the family¹s fresh food supply in the earliest
days of spring.
To harvest nettles wear gloves
and gather the topmost leaf clusters by snipping them with scissors into
a bag. Plop them into a pot of boiling water and when the leaves are
cooked there is no longer a problem with stinging. The vegetable can be
treated as spinach and was important as an antiscorbutic, enriching the
blood in early spring for northern peoples. ³Indian Spinach² was
praised by the coastal tribes in our area, and much was made of the
plants¹ curative powers.
Nettles have always been eaten and
drunk, usually as a pot-herb and vegetable, but also as teas
and tonics. Many of the elements we require in our diet are found in
abundance in nettles: They exceed spinach as a source of iron and other
minerals, and are rich in Vitamin C. Nettles were referred to by the
early Romans and throughout English literature there are references to
the growing of the plants, as well as the benefits of the tonics and
delight at the dinner table. I have a collection of recipes: Creamed
Nettles, Nettle Soup, Nettle Porridge, Nettle Pudding, Nettle Wine and
Nettle Beer.
But gardeners: Here¹s
the best part! This plant is capable of influencing the welfare of
other plants. Nettles stimulate the growth of plants nearby, making
them more resistant to disease. The leaves and stems are the stuff to
activate a compost heap, and can work wonders when laid on the soil
under a covering mulch of garden clippings, and straw. The nettles
encourage the bacteria necessary in soil for plants to accumulate
nitrogen, silica, iron, protein, phosphates, formic acid and other
mineral salts that are required for the well-being of both plants and
humans. A complete plant food liquid can be made by soaking a sheaf of
nettles in a bucket of rainwater for two or three weeks. This amazing
stuff is also effective spray against mildew, aphid, etc.
Lure the Nettle Tortoiseshell
Butterfly to your garden. Nettles are the special food of the
caterpillars of such lovely little butterflies as the Nettle (or
Milbert¹s) Tortoiseshells, and they are found wherever nettles grow.
References: ³How To Enjoy Your Weeds,² Audrey Wynne
Hatfield, Sterling Publ. Co., NY, 1971; ³Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Coast,² Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon, Lone Pine Publ., Vancouver BC,
1994; ³The Butterflies of Cascadia,² Robert Michaael Pyle, Seattle
Audubon Society, 2002. |
|
