From the web: For centuries, nettle has been a staple for ancient cultures and continues to be an important food source throughout the world. It's arguably one of the most nutritional wild edibles available, but it needs to be cooked or dried to neutralize the sting. I had no idea.
We freeze it too but as with almost everything, it is best fresh. You need to get out and pick the cattails in their husks now. I have to wait till second week in June. You husk them and par boil. Put on the butter and eat like corn on the cob. You end up with a plate of what looks like knitting needles. My absolute favorite wild vegetable fresh! Free and fabulous!
I wish I lived near you. This is the stuff I wanted to learn, but this is where the expression "Fatal Error" likely originated. You don't get a lot of second chances.
True but these are the safest veggies out there. Stick your hand in a bunch of nettle and you will know if it is nettle or peppermint rather quickly. And you must know cattails.
I found some pics on the internet. I don't remember seeing them in my yard. Are they a woods or fields only plant?
That is them. Show the picture to John B! I think they look like peppermint plants too although peppermint is a little bit bluer. They like moist/wet places. Funny, they don't grow by my pond but they like fertile low garden spots where most don't want them. In the wild, look along shaded drainage ditches. You can actually buy seeds, which are considered medicinal too. But you don't want to put them in the ground unless you can handle proper management with safety clothing. I love them. The very tall plants, in the fall, can make fun cordage for survival classes or even to spin and weave. My handyman HATES them. You might even try craigslist. People who do organic gardening might like you to come and remove some
Really though, deliberately growing something named 'stinging' seems a bit like putting full grown alligators in the swimming pool.
I always figure it is to keep things from eating them with such a mild flavor. Otherwise they would be eaten to extinction. It is why I tell people about poison mushrooms--leaves more for me
Plants are starting to fill out and Bloom here's a hanging basket with Calibrachoa a perennial Rose Campion
My butterfly plant looks good this year Coral Bells and lambs ear Sorry the photos keep coming out sideways no matter what I try