Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica

Low and behold I have found stinging nettle in spades at my jobsite! Stinging nettle (botanical name: Urtica dioica) is known as a common weed that inflicts itchy pain and discomfort on those who come in close contact with it, but a little known fact is that it's herbal properties are meant to do just the opposite! For those like me who suffer from allergies, this plant can actually help relieve allergy symptoms.

 I have harvested stinging nettle and made a tea out of it (recipe--> Bring water to an almost boil, pour water into a cup with 1 tsp of dried nettle leaves, steep for 5 minutes then Vwa-la! ready to drink but filter out leaves) and have felt relief from my allergy symptoms!

Harvesting tips: Always wear gloves to avoid getting stung and do not pick leaves if you see any flower buds or flowers on the stems. Why? Because from the budding stage of nettle, the plant has properties of poisonous arsenic (gasp!). You can also buy organic stinging nettle tea from Tradmedicinals and get the same results. I've had it myself and it tastes just the same!