KILDARE WILDLIFE COLUMN: Is the nettle ready to lose it’s bad reputation
Nuala Madigan from the Bog of Allen Nature Centre
The common nettle (neantóg as Gaeilge) is one of those wild plants that has a bad reputation!
As a young person we learn very quickly not to touch the nettle leaf as it will give us a sting, and for many years, it was one of those plants that we pulled, cut and strimmed from our gardens and communities.
This native plant, which can grow to a height of one metre, has spear-shaped toothed leaves and can be found growing in gardens, hedgerows, roadside verges, woodland and grassland habitats in your community.
Growing up, I learned that the nettle could sting. The second lesson was to learn the cure to the painful sting caused by an acid released from the tiny hairs that cover the leaf surface.
You will know it is of course the dock leaf; the dock leaf contains alkali that reacts with the acid from the nettle sting in turn easing the pain from the nettle sting. You may also know that the common nettle has long been associated with herbal medicine, with families making tea and soup to help cure ailments including inflammation, to help circulation, to lower blood pressure and reduce the symptoms of hay fever to name a few.
While I have never collected nettles for use to treat an illness, there are many online articles that share recipes that you can follow.
As always I will add that I don’t recommend that you collect any wild plant for eating and encourage you to leave them for nature. Interestingly with more awareness today on the declining populations of pollinators and their importance for us the bad reputation once held by the common nettle is changing.
Did you know that nettles are a valuable source of food for many caterpillars including those of the peacock, small tortoiseshell and red admiral butterflies?
Now is the time to watch for caterpillars feeding on a lush crop of nettles in your local area.
Don’t forget if you come across a wildlife species that you would like help identifying I would be happy to help, contact me at [email protected].