Stinging Nettle & Protein Soup
The most familiar Nettle known among children is the dreaded Stinging Nettle. Whether walking along a path with ankles exposed, or reaching down to pick up a rock, it’s easy to brush a foot or hand against the fast growing small leaves blending in among other harmless plants. The German phrase sich in die Nesseln setzen, gives us the idea that to “sit in nettles” means you’re in some sort of trouble.
However, the beautiful Peacock butterfly uses Stinging Nettle as a larval host plant, so although I try my best to keep Stinging Nettle out of my garden, I appreciate that it grows thickly along the trails where we live.
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Purple Dead Nettle
Because it grows lower to the ground than other nettles, it can be easily confused with the Ground Ivy “Gill-over-the-ground” mentioned below.
Yellow Dead Nettle “Yellow Archangel”
Yellow Deadnettle – Lamium galeobdolon grows to 1.3-2.5 feet. The opposite paired leaves are “stalked, broadly ovate with a cordate base and toothed margin.” “The underside of the leaves is often purplish. The calyx is five-lobed. The corolla is yellow, 0.6-1 inch long, the petals fused with a long tube and two lips.”
White dead-nettle
Edible Look-alikes
Ground Ivy “Gill-over-the-ground”
When this flower is in full bloom, it can easily resemble purple deadnettle, especially when the plant is younger and the narrow leaves haven’t widened into larger fans.
As part of the same Mint/Deadnettle Lamiaceae family, it also has a square stem, opposite curvy-edged leaves, and sets of trumpet-like flowers with huge lips.
In Winter, I do my best to curb the spread of this Ground Ivy as it’s stolons grow low to the ground, sometimes under, making it very difficult to trace and stop the spread. However, in summer, I have seen friends including these stalks, leaves, and flowers in an edible wild salad. It is also a valuable source for pollinators in early Spring.
Bugleweed
This plant isn’t so much a nettle lookalike but it’s possible to confuse it with the Ground Ivy above. Also a member of Lamiaceae, it has a square stem and beautifully lipped flowers, but it forms an iridescent raceme like a tower circling with purple angels playing heavenly horns.
Based on studies, it’s possible that this plant can be used to treat hyperthyroidism or to treat wounds; however, I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t confirm or deny whether this is true or not.
Garlic Mustard
This delicious plant can resemble White deadnettle due to its arrow-shaped leaves, however, it is in a completely different family than the Lamiacea species above. With a Latin name Allaria petiolata, this Brassicaceae is part of the Mustard family, but the genus Allaria casually reminds me of the onion Alliums which are pungently familiar with this plant.
Foraging in the NE of the US, this was my first favorite edible wild plant because I found it everywhere and enjoyed the intensity of the flavor. I did, however, as a beginner forager, sometimes confuse it with Stinging nettle which likes to share the same crowded areas.
Waunder 