Nettle
Nettle is the plant that stings you on a hike, then shows up in your mug as one of the most nutrient-dense herbs in the cupboard. Packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it's traditionally valued as a nourishing tonic and a gentle nervine that supports a sense of resilience and balance. Herbalists have long reached for it to support healthy skin and hair, the urinary and circulatory systems, and all-around vitality. Basically, it's a leafy green with a villain origin story and a very good glow-up.
Find it in:
- Botanical nameUrtica dioica
- Plant familyUrticaceae (nettle family)
- Also calledStinging nettle, common nettle
- Part usedDried leaf (and powdered leaf)
- TasteGreen, grassy and mineral, a little like spinach broth
- CaffeineNone
Traditional Uses & Folklore
Europe's spring tonic
For centuries, nettle was one of the first wild greens picked each spring across Europe. After a long winter of stored food, a pot of nettle soup or a strong nettle tea was how people felt they woke the body back up. Folk herbalists called it a "spring tonic" and leaned on it as a nourishing, everyday plant rather than a once-in-a-while remedy.
From fabric to folklore
Nettle stems hold a strong fiber, and people spun them into cloth from the Bronze Age right up to the 20th century, when Germany used nettle fabric during World War I. Folklore loves it too: in Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans, a princess knits shirts from nettles to break a curse. The sting was never a dealbreaker.
A hermit's green
Tibetan Buddhist stories tell of the yogi Milarepa, who meditated in mountain caves and lived on little but nettle broth for years. Legend says he ate so much of it that his skin turned green. It's an extreme endorsement, but a memorable one.
The scienceWhat Modern Research Is Exploring
Nettle is one of the better-studied herbs in the cupboard, though much of the work looks at specific extracts rather than a cup of tea. Here's what researchers are looking at:
- Nutrients. Nettle leaf naturally contains minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium, plus vitamin K and chlorophyll, which is why herbalists call it a nourishing herb.
- Seasonal sniffles. Nettle leaf has been studied for its traditional use during allergy season, with early but mixed results.
- Joints. Researchers have looked at nettle leaf, both taken internally and applied to the skin, in connection with joint comfort.
We share this to show where the conversation is going, not to make promises. Herbalism is slow medicine, built on ritual, consistency, and how a plant feels in your own body.
From Tea LadyWhy Nettle Is in Our Blends
Nettle is our hardest-working herb. It's the mineral-rich backbone of Follicular Phase Tea and Moon Phase Tea, where it helps replenish you around and after your period. It also brings its green, nourishing depth to Glow Up Tea, Glow Up Powder and Happy Gut Powder. If we had a staff herb, it would be nettle.
Sip mindfullySafety & Who Should Check First
Nettle leaf is a common food and tea herb and is generally considered gentle in tea-sized amounts. A few things to keep in mind:
- Allergies. If you're sensitive to nettle or related plants, you may react to it. Fresh leaves can also irritate the skin (that's the sting).
- Blood pressure or blood sugar. Nettle may influence blood pressure or blood sugar. Check with your healthcare provider if you take medication for either.
- Bleeding disorders. Nettle may have mild blood-thinning effects, so take care if you're on anticoagulants.
- Medication interactions. Nettle could interact with diuretics, blood thinners, or blood sugar–lowering medications. Check with your healthcare provider if you take any of these.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Check with your healthcare provider before drinking nettle if you're pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding.
- Surgery. Pause herbal teas about two weeks before a scheduled surgery.
Sources & Further Reading
- Chrubasik JE, Roufogalis BD, Wagner H, Chrubasik S. "A comprehensive review on the stinging nettle effect and efficacy profiles. Part I: Herba urticae." Phytomedicine, 2007; 14(6): 423–435.
- Upton R. "Stinging nettles leaf (Urtica dioica L.): Extraordinary vegetable medicine." Journal of Herbal Medicine, 2013; 3(1): 9–38.