Less Sting Stinging Nettle Seeds

Fewer stinging hairs are found on Less Sting compared to other nettles.

As a green vegetable this plant will let you know in a not too of a  subtle way, “I am here, feel my rash” due to the burning sensation caused by tiny hairs on the leaves and stem. "Less Sting" is a clonal selection found on our farm that had fewer stinging hairs on the leaf surface. The stems and petioles are still covered but not the leaf which has almost none.  

Once cooked or dried, the stinging disappears completely which is a tough thing to overcome when trying them for the first time. Nettles taste a lot like spinach. High in vitamin A and C, calcium, magnesium and potassium, nettles have been used for poor circulation, to treat prostate cancer (the root), diarrhea, and hay fever, to name a few. Nettle is listed in the top 5 plants used by Native Americans as a fiber plant. Spreads quickly by rhizomes which can be an issue if you are hoping for a constrained version of this. "Less Sting' is not.  Harvest the greens in spring when 6-12 inches tall or pluck leaves from the stem or cut with scissors.