Silk of the North: Nettles — A Botanical History
The Urticaceae plant family is host to many prickly species of botanicals, most notably, the stinging nettle — urtica dioica. Nettle’s modern reputation as an unsightly weed responsible for stinging rashes could not be further from how this plant was once regarded. Stinging nettle plants can be found on nearly every continent, and have a deep history across many cultures as a food, medicinal, and fiber crop.
Nettles were regularly used in medical remedies in the past. The leaves of the plant were primarily employed to treat a wide variety of illnesses and conditions, but sometimes nettle seeds and roots also found their way into medicinal cures. If you were experiencing conditions ranging from rheumatism to poisoning a few centuries ago, a doctor or apothecary likely would have recommended some part of the nettle plant as a potential remedy. The juice extracted from the leaves was used to stop nose-bleeds and ease coughs. Nettle’s diuretic and astringent properties made it the ideal herbal cure for both digestive and kidney issues as well as scurvy. Nettle roots were used to treat asthma and epilepsy, and a strong tea prepared from them was used to treat jaundice or as a gargle for sore throats.
