A widely distributed perennial herb with stinging hairs along its stems and leaves, both feared as a weed and prized as a nutritious cooked green and fiber plant.
Description
Stinging nettle has serrated heart-shaped leaves on square stems, both bristling with tiny hollow hairs that inject formic acid on contact, causing a painful rash.
Cultivation
Nettle thrives on nitrogen-rich disturbed soil, often near old buildings and farmyards. Cooking or drying destroys the sting completely.
Uses
Young shoots are eaten as a spinach-like green in soups, pesto, and tea. The bast fibers were spun into cloth like flax for centuries. Caterpillars of many butterflies feed on nettle.
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