Latin Name:
Urtica dioica
Physical Description:
Stinging nettles are small shrubs with furry, serrated and heart-shaped leaves. The stalks are hairy as well. Caution when handling as these furry leaves can "sting" and cause dermatitis.
Usage:
To remove the "sting" from stinging nettles, they need to be dried, cooked, chopped or crushed. The flavor of the leaves is similar to spinach, and it contains up to 40% protein (unusual for a green vegetable). The roots are used to make soups and flavor cheeses.
Factoids:
Nettles are common in every state except for Hawaii. There is an ancient European story where a young girl whose seven older brothers have been turned into swans by an evil witch, has to knit magical sweaters for them out of nettles to turn them back into men.
Harvesting Season
From:
April
To:
July 
