Nettles… Urtica dioica. Dioica meaning "of two houses." This common species of nettles has male flowers on separate stems above female flowers. Nettles grow in rich, moist soil along year round desert sagebrush streams, up on the passes, in farmers' fields, down to the ocean forests. The key words here are wet and moist soil. Nettles have squarish stems and opposite leaves like the plants in the mint family, look like a giant mint plant on steroids, but they are not in the mint family… just to be confusing.

Hollow hairs which cover the underside of the leaves and stems of the plant and sporadically on the top of the leaves contain a collection of acids, causing the "sting" for which they are so famous. Nettles' constituents include ascorbic acids, histamine, choline, vitamins A and D, iron, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and silica. The plants are best harvested before they flower. Ingesting nettles gathered after flowering can cause uncomfortable digestive upsets.

Nettles make a superb "compost tea" for our garden and house plants being so high in nitrogen.

Nettles, eaten freely and drunk as a tea, feed our adrenals and kidneys, help to heal and strengthen the lung tissue and intestines, tonify the arteries, nourishes the hair, helps to promote lots of rich milk in lactating mothers, and can even help prevent and stop seasonal pollen based allergy attacks.

Dry the plants for infusions later in the season. Add dried nettles in your spaghetti sauce, soups, beans and stews for their superb mineral and vitamin content.

A few years back, I had a urinary tract infection that lasted only 3 days because I immediately drank a quart of strong nettle decoction upon feeling the "burn." Knowing that I was using the last of my dried nettles gathered the last year, I reached into my freezer and took out and drank the quart jar of juiced nettles and horsetail that was just waiting for the perfect use. Quick and easy!

>Nettle stalks may be used dried or fresh to be twisted into a remarkably strong twine. The natives of the north pacific coast used nettle twine woven into nets to catch fish.

Nettle Pesto Recipe

4 cups fresh nettle tops
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
6-8 cloves garlic
1/4 cup romano or parmesan cheese (optional)

Put all ingredients in Vitamix or food processor and process until creamy. What an incredible taste! Not only is it good on the traditional pasta, but the pesto is a wonderful spread on toast or crackers. It freezes well without the cheese, this can be added later.