Nettle is a perennial herb that belongs to the same order of flowering plants as the rose family. It is also called stinging nettle because of the tiny hairs that project from the perimeter of the fresh leaf that “sting” the skin on contact. When cooked or dried, however, these stingers fall to the wayside.
Nettle has a long history of use as a potherb, especially in Europe, where the fresh plant is still commonly prepared as a vegetable and the dried herb is made into teas. Nettle also supplies a fiber from which a linen-type of cloth is produced. In fact, during World War II, when supplies of cotton were scarce, German soldiers wore uniforms made from nettle.
Wildcrafted herbs are plants gathered from their natural, uncultivated habitats rather than from farms or cultivated fields. They grow in the wild without human intervention, fertilizers, or pesticides, developing naturally according to their environment.
Ethical wildcrafting involves harvesting from clean, undisturbed areas far from roadsides, polluted zones, or chemically treated land. Trained harvesters follow sustainable guidelines, taking only a portion of each plant population to support healthy regrowth and long‑term ecological balance.
Because these plants grow under natural conditions, their appearance, aroma, and potency can vary with the seasons, rainfall, and region. This variability is a normal characteristic of truly wild botanicals and reflects the plant’s natural life cycle.
Wildcrafted herbs are valued in herbalism for their connection to native ecosystems and for the traditional harvesting practices that prioritize environmental respect and sustainability.