tincture of the month: stinging nettle

Written by Sunny

I was at our local market, introducing folks to plant medicine last weekend when a woman marched into our tent, scrutinized the herbal offerings, and finally addressed me with utter disgust.

“Stinging Nettle? Gross. I hate it. That weed grows all around my garden beds, and it's a pain in my ass.”

 “Sorry to hear that,” I told her. “She's a good friend of mine.”

 Stinging Nettle is a plant that's often misunderstood — and her survival actually depends on it. According to folk medicine lore, the nutrients and benefits of Stinging Nettle were once so desired by animals and humans, she had to develop tiny, protective, stinging hairs in order to avoid extinction. 

 Her stingers naturally separate the people and animals who love and respect her from the people and animals who exploit and abuse her.

 If you come across her and you're not ready for the sting, her leaves may take your breath away, or cause you curse and scowl. But if you spend quality time with her and befriend her, you're in for a nutrient-dense, nourishing relationship that can carry you through the darkest of days. She's a true ride or die.

 She is also a common first plant ally for both the healers and the healing alike. This is because she embodies the full-arc of what herbalism stands to teach us: respect, nourishment, relationship, and transformation.

 I ended up selling out of every single bottle of Stinging Nettle last weekend, even though many people find her to be a nuisance. Or maybe because many people find her to be a nuisance. The rest of us feel drawn to her power, even if we don't consciously understand why.

I just made a few more bottles and deemed Stinging Nettle my one-and-only tincture of the month offering. I'd like to share my new expression with my audience online, if you'd allow me to make this gentle pivot.

 Get to know this August's tincture of the month, Stinging Nettle, because she just might have your back in ways you can't yet imagine.