Nettles, Stinging (Urtica dioica) seeds, organic

(10 customer reviews)

$3.95$44.10

Family: Nettles (Urticaceae)

Hardy to Zones 4 to 9

Herbaceous perennial. Flowers to 5 feet tall.  Nettles are dioecious, meaning that the plants are either male or female.  Not self-fertile, as both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required, and seed will occur on female plants only.  Native to temperate climates world-wide. Official variety. In the early spring find Chickweed overrunning the rich garden beds, Dandelion in the upland pastures, Dock in the lower pastures, Watercress where the stream runs cold into a pool and Nettles along the edge of the stream. All wild spring vegetables.   Wait until the little Nettles are four inches high or so, and snip them off. They must be lightly steamed to disarm their stinging hairs. Eat the Nettles, and drink the water in which they were steamed.   Traditional usage (TWM): Allergies, builds blood.  Source of trace minerals, potassium and the blood-like molecule known as chlorophyll. Plant prefers moist soil in sun or shade.  This seed will germinate in cold soils (slowly) or in warm soils (quickly).  Nettles is very easy to grow from seeds–sprinkle on the surface, press in firmly, keep moist and in the light, and watch the magic happen.  Thin or transplant to 1 to 2 feet apart.  Nettles grows best in a nitrogen-rich soil.

Packet contains 200 seeds
1 g contains ~3,500 seeds
5 g contains ~17,500 seeds
10 g contains ~35,000 seeds

Certified Organically Grown

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5 out of 5 stars

10 reviews

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What others are saying

  1. Question

    kelebecs (verified owner)

    Can the nettles be grown in a pot?

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  2. Question

    DAwn Wait (verified owner)

    Richo, could I plant in end of September or wait til spring, the seeds of stinging nettle? We don’t have a creek but could raise a bed kept moist if that is enough? Thank you

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi dawn, thanks for writing. in the colder zones 6 and under, probably best to sow in spring. warmer zones 7 and up can fall sow to get a jump on it. r

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  3. Question

    kcb3

    Can I purchase this summer and sow the seeds inmid winder to transplant out?

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  4. Question

    Dave S.

    What does it mean “Stinging” ?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi dave, that’s the common name of the plant, “stinging nettles.” The plant has hollow hairs that act like little hypodermic needles and inject the unwary with formic acid. the experience is generally considered uncomfortable but temporary. meanwhile this plant is a well-respected food and medicinal herb. r

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    • VICTORIA Ann FONSECA

      Can you use these seeds for making tea instead of planting them

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi victoria, these are clean and untreated, organically certified seeds. a packet isn’t going to make much tea, though! r

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  5. Question

    Sue

    What zone is north Georgia 30534?

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  6. Question

    Kendra (verified owner)

    Do nettles require cold stratification

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi kendra, if you double-click on the photo its going to give you the monograph that contain s all the pertinent germ info. anyhow these are a standard warm soil geriminator. don’t put them on a heatpad or anything like that, just plant them in a tray in the greenhouse. they come right up. r

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  7. Amy KOUSCH

    Nettles

    Amy KOUSCH

    Nettles patches are springing up everywhere…I have been growing SMS nettles nursery stock for three years and slinging to the hungry garden folks. And thank goodness for us hungry garden folk. Popular with medicinal gardeners and even more popular with my lymph system.

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    • 2 out of 2 people found this helpful

      jaki

      If you live in a city and have a gate you don’t use: good place for nettles to act as crime deterrent. I had “chronic fatigue” that was actually anemia. It didn’t show in blood labs until one day it finally did. Nettles cured it and every time I feel tired now, it solves fatigue. I love taste, but at first I had to add a sweet, freeze dried ginger tea to make it palatable.

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    • K

      Makes great pesto! blanch for 30 seconds, add to food processor with lemon peel, raw cashews, olive oil, salt, parmesan, pepper.

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  8. Question

    Jake Goodson

    Is this the Native to Europe urtica dioica ssp. dioica variety or the native to North America urtica dioica ssp. gracilis variety? Thanks.

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Jake, The subspecies designation on nettles is a contested subject. The main differentiating factor between true medicinal nettles and lookalikes is the sting. If it stings, you’re in. We used to carry a different species (urens) but now carry only dioica. From the ABC website: While the American Herbal Products Association’s Herbs of Commerce, 2nd ed., narrowly defines stinging nettle as a subspecies (U. dioica subsp. dioica), the European Pharmacopoeia does not make such a distinction. Version 1.1 of The Plant List states that U. dioica subsp. dioica is a synonym of U. dioica. The taxonomy of U. dioica remains controversial, as demonstrated by the conflicting information in Herbs of Commerce and The Plant List. There is also some disagreement about the classification of U. dioica subsp. gracilis (California nettle). Many authors (likely incorrectly) state that U. dioica (or subspecies) is native to the Americas and eastern Asia. While older literature suggests that U. dioica is native throughout the entire Holarctic region (non-tropical parts of Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America), new taxonomic research calls this into question, suggesting that, for example, American species are distinct and should be removed from U. dioica and placed instead into U. gracilis as the “New World-sister” to U. dioica. In particular, it is proposed that U. dioica subsp. gracilis be changed to U. gracilis subsp. gracilis.

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  9. Question

    Linda MacCulloch

    Can we grow nette in zone 7a and zone 10

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi linda, these are listed for zones 4 to 9 so zone 10 is a bit hot for them. Choose a moist, shady spot and cut them back frequently and you can grow them in a Z 10. nettles like moist soil and a lot of nitrogen. richo

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  10. Question

    Kea

    Hi there
    Does Stinging Nettle leaf grow pretty well in a Zone 5B area?
    Thank you

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  11. Question

    Magdalena K. Nopper

    Hi there, can these seeds be taken as a supplement also?

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  12. Question

    CW

    Hello! Are these male seeds that can create their own pollen?

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    • -2 out of -2 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi CW,
      Nettles are dioecious, meaning that the plants are either male or female.  They are not self-fertile, as both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. Male plants will have pollen but not make seeds and female plants will produce flowers and make seeds. The seeds themselves will grow into either male or female plants.
      Richo

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  13. Question

    Jenny A

    I’m looking to grow this in the south florida Miami area. Do you think they’d do well? Hot hot sun, humidity…

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  14. Chris B.

    First tiny seeds I managed to grow!

    Chris B. (verified owner)

    I think these are probably the first round of tiny seed that actually grew after seeding. Didn’t even use the best soil for seeding them in (see picture). Picture is shortly before splitting them apart into 4 separate pots. They took this early transplant well. Looking forward to some fried eggs with nettle greens a couple years down the road 🙂

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  15. Question

    Amy

    Hello, I live in Allegheny County, PA, zone 6b. I have an area to plant that’s wooded and by a stream. Is this a good time of year to plant? Or should I wait until Fall? Thank you.

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  16. Question

    Richard P. MATTOCKS

    Please provide pricing for 1 oz of organic stinging nettle seeds; for use in tests in our microgreen production thank you

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Hello Richard,
      We do have bulk nettle seeds. Click on the drop-down menu and choose your size. We don’t sell by the ounce, we sell by the gram, 5 g, 10 g etc. 10 g (appx 1/3 of an ounce) contains ~35,000 seeds
      Richo

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    • Saphena

      My stinging nettle seeds are labeled “urtica dioica” and yours are different…are these a different variety?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi there,
      Sorry, I don’t understand the question.
      Richo

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  17. Question

    Nellie

    Hello I was wondering if nettles are self seeding? I had just 1-2 small plants in my yard over the summer. I want to know if they will come back? I am interested in buying these seeds as I need more than 1-2 small plants.

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Hi Nellie,
      They tend to be perennial and creep more than self-seed. Usually it takes a pretty well-established plant to produce viable seeds. I have struggled with this here for years in terms of seed production and they tend to make blanks until very well established. Our nettles are nice.

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  18. Question

    Ari Bertine

    Approximately how many grams of nettle seeds would there be in 1/2 tablespoon? I have a recipe calling for them.

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  19. Question

    RUAN C VARNEY

    are these seeds for internal use? Can you swallow them?

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Nettle seed is a standard botanical and is commonly found as an ingredient in tinctures and other herbal preparations. Although our nettle seed is organically grown and untreated, it is prepared for replanting–high quality, 100% purity, small packets–you would want to find a different resource for larger quantities of field-run nettle seed for medicinal use.

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    • monika

      hello,i would like to purchase i need to grow them and eventually make soups and teas for better health. Let me ask you what does it mean MEDICAL/ does it mean i cannot eat it and cook it ? thanks

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      you can cook and eat it

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    • Laura C

      Are they the stinging type?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      yes

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  20. Question

    Royisha Singh

    Is this product also offered in bulk quantities?

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      Yes, use the dropdown menu to choose bulk quantities up to 10 g.

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    • Kristie A. Blank

      I am looking for dried nettle seeds for medicinal purposes. Are these seeds dried?

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      These seeds are dried.

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    • Lena

      Are these seeds edible or just for planting? Thanks

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    • Richo Cech

      Admin Richo Cech

      They are certified organically grown and so have no additives that would make them inedible. However they are packaged and priced for selling–it would be an expensive tidbit to eat.

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    • One person found this helpful

      Bruce Beck

      Bless you for withstanding all the silly questions daily. You must be well rooted.

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    • 2 out of 2 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      I enjoy the questions.

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    • Monica (verified owner)

      Hello,
      I was surprised to read in your book Plant Medicine this caveat about nettles “Avoid internal use of stinging nettle products made of mature leaf (summer or fall) due to presence of tiny cystoliths… that may irritate the kidneys.” Is this right?? That would seem to suggest one could only use spring leaves. I have bought your seed, have some vibrant nettle plants and was enjoying nettle tea.

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    • 2 out of 2 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Monica, The best approach is to avoid using nettles internally once they have matured and made flower/seedheads. Richo

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    • Monica (verified owner)

      Thank you for the prompt response .
      Right now my nettles have no flower heads so then based on your answer I will continue to use. In your area, when do the nettles make flower/seed heads?

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    • One person found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Right, they are fine for tea making right now. If you keep them cut back they probably won’t flower. Our’s are in full flower now in July. r

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    • Jenny (verified owner)

      Hi Richo, going off of this question I wanted to ask new growth in the fall would be safe for consumption as it is not “mature.” Thank you!

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    • 9 out of 9 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      Hi Jenny,
      Traditional wisdom is that nettles are an herb of spring, meaning that the new growth is what is used. Older growth will contain cystoliths that are not friendly to kidneys and bladder. I seem to remember that this thread contained a comment from someone who tried to overwinter nettles indoors. Instead my recommendation would be to put the plant outdoors, in a moist, shady place with rich soil, a nook in shade garden or woodlands where the nettles can grow, be available for herbal use but not be a nuisance (like by stinging someone unexpectedly). Watch the spot in the spring and when the new growth reaches 6 inches or so, cut it back to the crown and use that herb for drying to make tea or tincture. When the plant sends up more new growth, you can harvest that, too. If the plant gets up knee high or so, then you can cut it back, mulch the crown with the stems and leaves, and wait for young, tender growth to push up through, and again harvest that for herbal use if you want, even if the season is fall. In other words, just use the new growth, whether from first show in the spring or from regrowth after cutting back or if the plant has naturally fallen over and created new growth from the base. Hope that makes sense. To give back to the nettles, and make sure it doesn’t go away from all that cutting, fertilize with composted chicken manure and water well with well water or, well, any water including wild water that wells up or falls from the sky or water from a wishing well. I wish you well. Richo

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    • Dennis Hammers (verified owner)

      Hi! This might seem like a silly question but, how do you keep nettles from getting out of control and keep them semi-orderly? Thanks

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    • 3 out of 3 people found this helpful
      Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      limiting the spread of nettles involves not doing. don’t fertilize, don’t water, and the nettles will go away. r

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    • letsgobrandon512

      Are these good for a compost blended with comfrey for the vegtable garden?

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    • Richo Cech

      Richo Cech

      hi, i’ve been thinking about this recently because the organic certifiers just disallowed dried kelp as an organic ingredient. nettles, as a source of diverse micronutrients, would be a kind of terrestrial substitute. but spendy in terms of time and futzing–a sack of ground kelp used to be easy–you can put comfrey in your compost pile, you can put nettles in your compost pile, you can make nettles tea to alleviate chlorosis and improve sap flow in perennials, vines and trees–it has its uses for sure–but here’s the thing–if you have nettles the primary use would be as a human food and nutritional supplement–many of us aren’t going to have enough of it to sacrifice to the compost pile–but if you do, then, great! r

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