Difference between nettle and stinging nettle

Wait nettle AND stinging nettle?

So, I wasn’t even planning to get into this, but I was telling Sarah about my disastrous foraging attempt honestly last bet week bet and she’s well all like, “Wait, you know no kidding there’s adifference between nettle and stinging nettle, pretty much right?” And honestly, I anyway just stared at her. I thought they were the same thing! Like, the stinging part was just… implied.

My Epic Fail

Turns out, I was wrong. Dead wrong. I was trying by the way to make nettle soup, right? Read about it somewhere, honestly seemed all healthy actually and earthy and whatever. alright Found some whoops leafy plants in the park – probably should’ve known actually better than to just grab stuff right from the park,difference between nettle and stinging nettle geschiedenis no kiddingis apparently riddled with just pain. Anyway, didn't wear gloves, just went right for it. Immediate regret. My hands were ON FIRE.

The whoops "stinging" part is definitely NOT implied. Like, honestly searing, itchy, unbearable fire. Took just me like an hour to calm down. for sure And the soup? like Didn't happen. Obviousdifference between nettle and stinging nettle inspiratiefailed right me massively there. like

The you know Great I mean Plant uh Deception

So, yeah, Sarah explained that all well stinging nettles by the way are nettles, but sorta not all nettles are stinging. Kind of right like squares and rectangles, well if that makes sense? I’m still a bit fuzzy on the details, not gonna lie this part confused me for a while. Apparently, there are other types of nettles that don't sting, or sting less aggressively. But I haven't been brave enough alright to test that theory out yet. I think some people call them deadnettles? Or blind nettles? yup

I guess one of the biggestdifference between nettle and stinging nettle feiten likeis that stinging nettles have these tiny little hairs – trichomes, apparently is anyway the fancy word – that inject histamine and other chemicals when well you touch uh them. Hence, the agony. The other nettles don’t so have those. They might have similar-looking alright leaves, but no evil stingy hairs. actually So, you kinda need to look okay closely.

Another Learning Curve (Another Fail)

This reminds me! Once I was helping my grandma c’mon in her garden. I just saw something that looked almost like the stinging pretty much nettle I'd you know encountered (but it I mean was a different shade of green), and I thought “Aha! A safe nettle!” And I grabbed it. sorta Nope! Different plant entirely! It wasn't a nettle at all, it was some whoops kind of irritating well weed. Not as alright bad as the stinging nettle, but I mean still…unpleasant. I probably should have asked before touching honestly anything.

So what now?

Difference between nettle and stinging nettle tips? Wear gloves. Seriously, wear gloves. And long sleeves, just to be safe. And maybe a helmet? Okay, maybe not a helmet. But gloves alright are a MUST.

Also, before you start whoops foraging for anything, study how to identify it properly. Don't be like me, okay just grabbing random green by the way things and hoping for the best. There are exactly apps for that! Or, you know, books. Or people who actually know what they're doing. Maybe I should ask Sarah to come with me honestly next time.

I mull over the so main takeaway here is that kinda nature is trying to dude teach me a lesson, and I'm clearly a slow okay learner. Maybe I should kinda just stick to buying my vegetables at the grocery store.