Nettle Seed

Ygraine · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:18 am Post subject:

I may be showing my ignorance here, but I was collecting nettle seed for a fresh tincture last night from the nettles at the bottom of my garden and discovered the ones growing next to the compost heap were white whereas those growing in the middle and right of the bed were the normal green changing to black colour.

Has anyone come across white nettle seed before? I know they are nettle plants as they look exactly the same as the others and I could still feel their stings tingling this morning.
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Henriette · Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 328 Location: Helsinki

The white ones are either
1) not even remotely close to ripe, cos they're flowers,
or
2) mildewed, in which case, don't use them.

Henriette
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lovinglandbase · Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 49

i'm not sure if this is what Ygraine is talking about but on my nettles i've got little flowers at the top, some green seed looking things in the middle and lower than those i've got white round things. here are some pictures and maybe i could get some help understanding what part i should be harvesting...? (i've never harvested nettle seeds before.)

here is the very top (flowers, yes?):
http://lovinglandbase.wordpress.com/files/2008/08/znettlestop.jpg

then just below those on the stem are these green very small seed-looking things:
http://lovinglandbase.wordpress.com/files/2008/08/znettlesmid.jpg

below that are these rounder white things:
http://lovinglandbase.wordpress.com/files/2008/08/znettleslower.jpg

and finally below that are round brown things (dried versions of the white things just above) that after turning brown, fall off:
http://lovinglandbase.wordpress.com/files/2008/08/znettlesbottom.jpg

i should also mention that the white and brown things in the last two pictures are not on every single nettle stem, just some of them.

please let me know if the pictures aren't working for you.
thanks!
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Henriette · Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 328 Location: Helsinki

Could either be dead male flowers, or dead female seeds - do you have a drought?
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lovinglandbase · Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 49

we do have a little bit of a drought here right now, although i remember them being like this in previous years too.

in either case, do the seedy things in the second picture (this one: http://lovinglandbase.wordpress.com/files/2008/08/znettlesmid.jpg) look like what people are harvesting? i can take a better picture if necessary.

thanks!!
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Henriette · Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 328 Location: Helsinki

Yes - but they're fully grown when they hang straight down, not almost straight out, and I pick'em fully grown.
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lovinglandbase · Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Posts: 49

great, thank you very much for the help henriette!
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plantainpatch · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 167

Thank your for this thread. I will harvest the little bit of nettle seed I have tomorrow. I was hesitating because I find nettle leaf infusions irritating. I relate very much to MaDonaVerde and Kiva. I am constitutionally dry. It is nice to know that I may have a use for nettle beyond a little in tea now and again!

persimmon · Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 25

I've been on fluoxetine (Prozac) x 3 years, and an ever-increasing dose of bupropion (Wellbutrin). Last time we upped my dose, I got all fidgety and pulse-poundy.

Last week I got seriously squirmy and hyper-alert, with a bounding pulse (acupuncturist described it as "feels like a coffee pulse"), which didn't go away until I cut my bupropion dose. About a week previous I'd started on a daily teaspoon of nettle seeds, poached from the nearby park.

Bupropion affects reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine, so I'm thinking perhaps my adrenals are reasserting themselves.

Bear_Medicine · Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject:

As a nettle seed update.... I've now been using the dried seed tincture for a client with lupus, who has been slowly going into kidney failure after a year of constant stress and flareups. At this point she's getting labwork done every couple of weeks and when I started her on the Nettle Seed (along with some Milky Oats and Ashwagandha, but mostly Nettle) her kidney function was at borderline/very low but with about a month on the Nettle has slowly climbed back to a low normal range (wish I had the labwork in front of me to expand with actual numbers) and hopefully will continue to improve. Her MD is very very pleased (to the point of drawing smiley faces on the labwork, heh) as is my client.

Now on one hand, this is to be expected from other herbalists' previous experience, but on the other hand it's always wonderful when something works in such a seemingly miraculous manner.

Doesn't cure the lupus by any means, but it's a very very helpful step. We'll see how well this works if my clients decides to get pregnant in the near future (a very good chance that will occur) and if her kidneys can hold up to the extra (EXTRA) stress.

And it's still a fabulous adaptogen... I'm still kicking myself for not getting out and harvesting hardly any this fall, gah.... good thing I still have some from last year and nice that more suppliers are now putting Nettle seed up for sale.
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plantainpatch · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 167

Bear_Medicine · Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:28 pm Post subject:

Well, I've good experience with Ryan Drum's herbs as well as Pacific Botanicals (I haven't tried their Nettle Seeds yet, but everything else I've had from them is great) and Pacific will now let you order online (a plus when you're like me and don't have a phone). I've also had some nettle seeds from Elk Mountain Herbs that were nice. You can also get pre-made tincture from Herbalist & Alchemist and probably from jim mcdonald as well. Hmm, I think Horizon carries the bulk seed as well now that I think about it.

The stuff I've used with clients though is all made from my own U. gracilenta annual Mountain Nettles, but seeds from any of the above would probably work great too.
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~*~ Kiva Rose
Anima Lifeways & Herbal School http://animacenter.org
Anima Healing Arts Health & Herbal Clinic:
http://animahealingarts.org
Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference: http://traditionsinwesternherbalism.org

plantainpatch · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 167

Thank you Kiva! I missed it on Ryan's order form. I received kelp from him just a few weeks ago.

Bear_Medicine · Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject:

well, I assume it's still there at least... I haven't ordered from him in about year though.
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~*~ Kiva Rose
Anima Lifeways & Herbal School http://animacenter.org
Anima Healing Arts Health & Herbal Clinic:
http://animahealingarts.org
Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference: http://traditionsinwesternherbalism.org

MaDonaVerde · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 225

Ryan only collects Nettle seeds in Jul/Aug - so possible that he's out for the year already.

I did just order some from Pac. Botanicals that are also very nice, though.
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