Stinging Nettle 2 (Butterfly Host Plant)

These plants are used by a number of butterfly species in the western US, including the West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella), Satyr (Polygonia satyrus), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), and Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis milberti). As their name implies, the plant is capable of inflicting nasty, itchy stings from it's thousands of small spiney hairs if not handles VERY carefully. The spines are fairly weak and not easily able to penetrate thicker skin, but thin skin such as on the forearm or back of the hand are no trouble!

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[JCMDIweirdStuff]

Sounds like you got whacked good by that plant! I can only remember a couple of times getting a sting so severely that it produced itchy-numbness for more than 24 hours. Good to remember what those plants look like in any case! =)

[mythtree]

One late spring in my youth, hiking Ojai, once I conquered the mountain was stunned upon a magnificent vista rolling green toward the sea. Stunned, & stung as I slipped & fell & caught purchase of this stealthy little stinging plant, blending in so well along the trail. I assure you it had no trouble penetrating my tender palms. Nothing to do, I couldn't even use my hands until returning to soak, still it stung for days. That moment of enchanted pleasure & sheer surprise I will never forget!

[Traveler2112]

@TheNatureStation He probably did. He was an old man at the time when I was a kid.

[Traveler2112]

@JcmdiStockFootage I've never had Poison Ivy or Oak which surprises me as much as I have hiked/played/explored through the woods since I was a kid. And I've lived all over the place. Been lucky I guess.

[TheNatureStation]

It would be unfortunate if such a recipe were lost to time. I've heard stories of people who developed, or knew of such remedies that never passed the information on, and subequently took the knowledge with them when they died.. :-/

[Traveler2112]

@JcmdiStockFootage Like I said Im not sure how he made it. But I know it worked. This was like 35 years ago or so.

[JcmdiStockFootage]

That sounds like a very useful remedy! I have been whacked by nettles so bad that the stings hurt and tingled for 1-2 days. I'd also like to see such a remedy for Poison Oak, too! :-)

[Traveler2112]

When I was growing up there was a man that made this stuff I believe from boiling down the white part of pine underneath the exterior bark. I know pine has an antiseptic property. Anyway he had given a bottle of this stuff to a neighbor whose lawn I mowed. The neighbor had a lot stinging nettles on his property and one day I got it bad on the forearm. He said apply some of the pine oil extract stuff. It cleared up the sting almost instantly nullifying the effects. Will never forget that.

[413hey]

@jcmegabyte i think i would probably just boil it and strain it, then add some mint leaves and some slippery elm

[jcmegabyte]

I've heard that too. It's best to eat the young leaves (and you're less likely to get stung by them!) , and boiled it's said to taste like Spinach, though I have yet to try it :-)