Anyone here grow stinging nettle? (For tea or greens)

[gdning8]

I started some stinging nettle by seed. I’m planning on using it for tea and boiled greens. The biggest plus to me is the deer resistance. I know it is a weed for most people, but does anyone else grow it and use it?

 

[Tetters]

It grows on my land all on its own, and has to be removed from time to time, but it is a valuable plant, as you say for many purposes. Quite a few butterflies like to lay their eggs on the plant, and moths of course. Not only will it provide a source of iron in teas and as greens on your plate, but if there is some left over, cut it off and leave it in a bucket of water. The result will be good fertiliser, if a bit smelly

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Seen pasta made out of it.

 

[roadrunner]

I have False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) that grows in my yard naturally, I keep it because it's a host plant for the Red Admiral butterfly. I'm not sure if you can make tea from it -- I'm strictly a coffee guy

 

[redback]

My chickens don't eat it so when I move them, I have a field of nothing else. I consider it a highly nutritious mulch and companion plant. My daughter makes a quiche with nettle.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Just what Tetters says, it grows itself, a valuable food plant for quite a few things and makes good fertiliser. I am not fond enough of it to eat it often, when you do catch the young tips as much as you can, it can get quite stringy.

 

[Logan]

I agree what Tetters has said, there's a lot growing here by the woods and around places but I've never used it for fertilizer, too smelly.

 

[roadrunner]

Here's a video I watched when I first learned that this plant has more uses than just stinging the hell out of hikers. He also mentions False Nettle in this video.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

In case your wondering about using them in making pasta. If you google, or You tube Pasta Grannies, it was one of those that they showed how they did it. Just saying.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Is it frequent in the US? I remember an American friend years ago complaining how the English went on about poison ivy "But no-one warned me about stinging nettles, bastard things".

 

[roadrunner]

It's frequent enough on the Appalachian Trail. Lot of hikers with itchy legs

Although some of those cases of being stung could be from hikers coming in contact with Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis), as he mentions at about the 6-minute point of the video in post #8, above.

 

[NewLeafTX]

I don't grow stinging nettle. Most of the beneficial purposes of stinging nettle are also provided by the stingless False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) AKA Bog Hemp, which I purposely grow for butterflies, fertilizer, and cover crop.

 

[UrbanWild]

I've had them here for 2 years. I split up some plants and grew them in containers trying to increase the numbers. I hope to transfer them into a segregated area in-ground this year. Great plant!

 

[Meadowlark]

... Most of the beneficial purposes of stinging nettle are also provided by the stingless False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) AKA Bog Hemp, which I purposely grow for butterflies, fertilizer, and cover crop.

Interesting plant. Says it will attract the Red Admiral butterfly which is a beauty. I'm ordering some. Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

Interesting plant. Says it will attract the Red Admiral butterfly which is a beauty. I'm ordering some. Thanks.

In some parts of Texas, like in the Hill Country, its a very invasive plant. You just can't get rid of it. And if you have little kids in short plants running around you should have an ample supply of industrial grade Calamine Lotion on hand.