Stinging Nettle Bites!

 I am posting this one today because this plant busts my chops!

 Every Spring it gets me again and again. Today I was weeding around the Iris beds and blooms. I know exactly what it looks like. But usually in the mix of all the other weeds, it slips my mind until it is in between my thumb and pointer finger and it is TOO LATE. The sting is immediate.

I am careful with thorns. The raspberries have fine pricks around the base of stems and nab me when I am separating young plants. My blackberry plant might as well be a barbed wire fence. And my Winnipeg Parks and Shrub roses can surprise me even when I'm being mindful of them. I have garden gloves, but don't often wear them when doing normal work. I like the tactile feeling of working with plants in my bare hands.They are short and only 1-2 inches at this time of year. But over time, can grow to at least 10 feet tall along a roadside ditch. They have roundish leaves in pairs that are notched and a soft mint green. Don't be fooled by those gentle hairs you see lining the main stem. They are actually hollow tubes that act like needles with toxins that immediately penetrate your skin. You will feel the prick instantly. And from there, reactions can venture into rashes, itching and burning specific to the prick. If you are really unlucky it can lead to allergic reactions of breathing effects, vomiting or the plain shits.  But these nettles! It is now 4 hour later and the tips of those two fingers are still numb. So I am passing on whatever tips I can to possibly shed some light for other gardeners to learn from my mistakes. The trick is not to rub them right away; it only grinds the hairs and toxins further into the skin. Wash with cold water and soap right away. If you want to try some other methods, aloe vera or baking soda and water also help

Stinging Nettle has wellness traits as a medicinal herb. The trick is harvesting them and letting them dry FIRST. Beware of this little devil. Not all plants are pretty!