Nettles redirects here. For the British actor, see John Nettles. For the former New York Yankee baseball player, see Graig Nettles.

Nettle is the common name for any of between 30-45 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby.

The most prominent member of the genus is the stinging nettle Urtica dioica, native to Europe, north Africa, Asia, and North America. The genus also contains a number of other species with similar properties, listed below. However, a large number of species names that will be encountered in this genus in the older literature (about 100 species have been described) are now recognised as synonyms of Urtica dioica. Some of these taxa are still recognised as subspecies.

Most of the species listed below share the property of having stinging hairs, and can be expected to have very similar medicinal uses to the stinging nettle. The sting of Urtica ferox, the ongaonga or tree nettle of New Zealand, have been known to kill horses, dogs and at least one human.

Species in the genus Urtica, and their primary natural ranges, include:

• Urtica angustifolia. China, Japan, Korea.
• Urtica ardens. China.
• Urtica atrichocaulis. Himalaya, southwestern China.
• Urtica atrovirens. Western Mediterranean region.
• Urtica cannabina. Western Asia from Siberia to Iran.
• Urtica chamaedryoides (heartleaf nettle). Southeastern North America.
• Urtica dioica (stinging nettle or bull nettle). Europe, Asia, North America.
• Urtica dubia (large-leaved nettle). Canada.
• Urtica ferox (ongaonga or tree nettle). New Zealand.
• Urtica fissa. China.
• Urtica galeopsifolia. Central and eastern Europe.
• Urtica gracilenta (mountain nettle). Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas, northern Mexico.
• Urtica hyperborea. Himalaya from Pakistan to Bhutan, Mongolia and Tibet, high altitudes.
• Urtica incisa (scrub nettle). Australia.
• Urtica kioviensis. Eastern Europe.
• Urtica laetivirens. Japan, Manchuria.
• Urtica mairei. Himalaya, southwestern China, northeastern India, Myanmar.
• Urtica membranacea. Mediterranean region, Azores.
• Urtica morifolia. Canary Islands (endemic).
• Urtica parviflora. Himalaya (lower altitudes).
• Urtica pilulifera (Roman nettle). Southern Europe.
• Urtica platyphylla. China, Japan.
• Urtica pubescens. Southwestern Russia east to central Asia.
• Urtica rupestris. Sicily (endemic).
• Urtica sondenii. Northeastern Europe, northern Asia.
• Urtica taiwaniana. Taiwan.
• Urtica thunbergiana. Japan, Taiwan.
• Urtica triangularis
• Urtica urens (dwarf nettle or annual nettle). Europe, North America.

The family Urticaceae also contains some other plants called nettles that are not members of the genus Urtica. These include the wood nettle Laportea canadensis, found in eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida, and the false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica, found in most of the United States east of the Rockies. As its name implies, the false nettle does not sting.

There are many unrelated organisms called nettle, such as:

• Dead-nettle (Lamium spp.) and hedge-nettle (Stachys spp.) which are in the Lamiaceae or mint family.
• Devil's nettle, which is another name for yarrow.
• Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense) in the Solanaceae.
• Spurge-nettle (Cnidolscolus stimulosus) in the Euphorbiaceae.
• Sea nettle (Chtysaora quinquecirrha) which is a jellyfish.

Nettles are the exclusive larval food plant for several species of butterfly and are also eaten by the larvae of some moths including Angle Shades, Buff Ermine, Dot Moth, The Flame, The Gothic, Grey Chi, Grey Pug, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Mouse Moth, Setaceous Hebrew Character and Small Angle Shades. The roots are sometimes eaten by the larva of the Ghost Moth Hepialus humuli.

Uses

Nettle stems are a popular raw material used in small-scale papermaking.

The tops of growing nettles are a popular cooked green in many areas, and are exceptionally high in protein. Some cooks throw away a first water to get rid of the formic acid, while others retain the water and cook the nettles straight. Nettle tops are sold in some farmers' markets and natural food stores. Nettle is believed to be a galactagogue and a clinical trial has shown that the juice is diuretic in patients with congestive heart failure.

Urtication, or flogging with nettles, is the process of deliberately applying stinging nettles to the skin in order to provoke inflammation. An agent thus used is known as a rubefacient (i.e. something that causes redness). This is done as a folk remedy for rheumatism, as it provides temporary relief from pain.

Extracts can be used to treat arthritis; it is also believed to be diuretic and uses treating hay fever are being investigated.

Nettle is used in hair shampoos to control dandruff.

Nettle root extracts have been extensively studied in human clinical trials as a treatment for symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). These extracts have been shown to help relieve symptoms compared to placebo both by themselves and when combined with other herbal medicines.

The traditional remedy for nettle stings is rubbing with the leaf of the dock plant, Rumex obtusifolus, which often grows beside nettles in the wild. While there is no scientific evidence that this remedy works, searching for and using a dock leaf at least takes the mind off the stinging pain somewhat.

The Bottle Inn, a pub in Marshwood, Dorset, England, holds an annual World Stinging Nettle Eating Championship. At the ninth Championship, held 2005-06-19, Ed Brooks of Wootton Fitzpaine ate a 48-foot length to take 1st prize.

Safety

Though the fresh leaves can cause painful stings, these are rarely seriously harmful. Otherwise most species of nettles are extremely safe and some are even eaten as vegetables after being steamed to remove the stingers.

See also

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Lamium, the "deadnettles".

External links and references

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• Flora Europaea: Urtica
• Flora of North America: Urtica
• Flora of China: Urtica
• Plants for a Future database search for Nettle
• HerbalGram and American Botanical Council website search for Urtica
• Chrubasik S, Enderlein W, Bauer R, Grabner W. (1997). Evidence for the antirheumatic effectiveness of herba Urticae dioicae in acute arthritis: A pilot study. Phytomedicine 4: 105-108.
• Dathe G, Schmid H. (1987). Phytotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH): Double-blind study with extract of root of urtica (ERU). Urologe B 27: 223-226 German.
• Kirchhoff HW. (1983). Brennesselsaft als Diuretikum. Z. Phytother. 4: 621-626 German.
• Krzeski T, Kazón M, Borkowski A, et al. (1993). Combined extracts of Urtica dioica and Pygeum africanum in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia: double-blind comparison of two doses. Clinical Therapy 15 (6): 1011-1020.
• Mittman, P. (1990). Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Med 56: 44-47.
• Randall C, Randall H, Dobbs F, et al. (2000). Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb pain. J. Roy. Soc. Med. 93: 305-309. reported online in British Medical Journal
• Yarnell E. (1998). Stinging nettle: A modern view of an ancient healing plant. Alt. Compl. Therapy 4: 180-186 (review).
• Historical & Current Uses for Nettles

Medicinal herbs and fungi | Rosales | Leaf vegetables

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