Nettle is an inconspicuous plant, especially when small. It has a wiry stem, alternate heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges, and a cute white flower at the very top. It was not a plant I wanted; however, it does have both good and bad qualities.

Nettle (Urtica dioica), both the common nettle (one of the six subspecies) and stinging nettle (the other five subspecies), is a herbaceous, perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America.

Stinging nettle

The five stinging nettle subspecies have many hollow, stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems that act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation. The needles also tend to break off, imbedding themselves in the recipient.

The plant is not all bad. It is the exclusive larval plant food for several species of butterfly and moths. It has been used as a treatment for arthritis, disorders of the kidney, urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract, flu, rheumatism, gout, dandruff and diabetes, though many of these remedies are only cited as folklore. It is eaten as a salad green, a cooked vegetable, in soups, purees, spices, cordials and tea. In the U.K., an annual World Nettle Eating Championship draws thousands of people to Dorset.

Nettle reproduces through stolons, rhizomes and seed. There is no product that will kill nettles without potential harm to lawns and nearby plants. They are tough to deal with in the summertime when the plants are fully grown, but they are not so menacing in the late winter and early spring. Most broadleaf herbicides will control them (read the label) as will the glyphosates (such as Roundup). If you wait until they’re several feet high you can still remove them, but you’ll want to don long sleeves and gloves before getting too close.

One of the important steps in controlling nettles is to keep them from flowering. Once they flower, they spill their seed.

If, like me, you are lucky enough to have the one of six without the needles, congratulations. I still wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection, though. The sap from damaged stems, roots and leaves can still cause irritation.