What is the point of nettles?

Question

Are they the thugs of plant life? What is the point of their existance other than to bully us?

Answer 1

Nettles are a favourite plant for butterflies to lay their eggs on.
Also, you can pick the tops of young nettles (wearing rubber gloves) and cook them like spinach. They make a delicious soup. They are full of vitamins and minerals.
The Romans used to rub themselves with nettles to feel warmer in the harsh British winter and I have heard that doing this can protect against arthritis.
Nettle tea is a diuretic and good for the kidneys. Pick the leaves, pour boiling water over, let brew (like tea), strain and drink.
Without nettles what would be the point of dock leaves? :-)

Answer 2

hello again,
just looked this up,and apart from stinging us lol they are apparently been known as a defence towards grazing animals
Stinging nettle has many uses. It is used by many different cultures for a wide variety of purposes in herbal medicine. Cooking, crushing or chopping disables the stinging hairs. Stinging nettle leaves are tasty and high in nutrients. The young leaves are edible and make a very good pot-herb. The leaves are also dried and may be then be used to make a tisane, as can also be done with the nettle's flowers.

hope this helps

Answer 3

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has long been thought to have a growth stimulating effect on plants. See the article on its benefits in the journal 'Plant and Soil' They found a 15% increase in N uptake in tomatoes grown with nettle juice.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/x22385x0167n7528/

Collected references to nettles beneficial properties.
"Nettles are helpful to stimulate fermentation in compost or manure piles and this helps to break down other organic materials in your planting soil. The plant is said to contain carbonic acid and ammonia which may be the fermentation factor."
"Nettles are rich in iron and have as much protein as cottonseed meal. Over all nettles are said to contain : sodium, sulphur, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, copper."

"Nettles are reputed also for taking pollutants from the soil" so use ones growing in the woodlot rather than the roadside.

Herbal Tea for plants
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/compost-tea-notes.html

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg041633361557.html
Cut roughly 2 lb of nettles for 2.5 gal of water. Let them soak 12 to 24 hours (at 65°F) for an additional insecticidal and fungicidal effect leave 10 - 15 days at 65°F (til mixture does not bubble anymore when gently mixed).
To serve as fertiliser and growth stimulator dilute 5 % and spray leaves or dilute 10-20 % for a soil drench and soak the ground around plant's roots.
Usage: Rich in nitrogen, organic and mineral elements and in trace elements, constitutes an efficient fertiliser.
As a leaf spray it acts as a precautionary treatment against mildew, rust, and a repellent of mites, & aphids.

Answer 4

if there are some tea bags at home, just put one on the sting, not too hot, just soaked in warm water. Other tricks; baking soda, oil and onions, and topical use of milk of magnesia. Lemon juice also works for treatment. Alternatively, one can simply ignore the stinging sensation and let it run its (harmless) course.

Answer 5

If we did not have nettles we would not have dock leaves to nullify the effects of nettles!

Answer 6

Butterflies love them. Good for wildlife.
You can make tea out of them - very beneficial apparently
and soup - allegedly. Good for humans

Also my Dad told me that they only grow where there is high amounts of nitrates in the soil so can be thought of as an indicator species. Good for sounding intelligent.

Answer 7

No nettles, no Red Admiral butterflies. 'Nuff said.

Answer 8

they wrap a certain kind of cheese in nettle leaves to give extra taste but i dont which cheese.

Answer 9

Plants are like people in that there are good & bad ones

Answer 10

You can use them to make the awfulest tasting tea you can imagine, that's very good for treating breathing problems.