Britesea
Sustainability Master
Plantain (plantago, not the banana) works very well on nettle stings and insect stings and bites. There's a narrow leaf and wide leaf version.
(narrow leaf)
(wide leaf). If you get stung, grab a couple of leaves of this and bite them a couple of times to get the juices flowing, then slap onto the sting as a poultice. You can also make it into a salve for when there isn't any fresh- just infuse in oil and then add enough beeswax to make a salve. Plantain is also edible (the young leaves) and the seeds have medicinal value (a close relative of psyllium seed)
Although I give nettles healthy respect, I love them and have actually grown them on purpose in my garden. They taste good in soup and make a tea that does wonders for aches and pains. The sting is inactivated when the leaf is dried or cooked. Also, when the plants are very young, they don't sting.
Although I give nettles healthy respect, I love them and have actually grown them on purpose in my garden. They taste good in soup and make a tea that does wonders for aches and pains. The sting is inactivated when the leaf is dried or cooked. Also, when the plants are very young, they don't sting.