Why You Should Encourage Nettles In Your Garden

I still remember the pain of walking a bit too close to stinging nettles and for years have disliked them. But this year I’m encouraging them in my garden, and you should too! Nettles might not be the prettiest plant, they might not have a pleasant aroma, they might cause you pain… but they’re so good for wildlife and biodiversity!

Nettles are amazing because…

• They support over 40 different kinds of insects
• The insects, which use the nettle sting as a shield, provide food for ladybirds
• Aphids on nettles provide food for blue tits and other woodland birds
• The seeds provide food for bullfinches, house sparrows and chaffinches
• Some moths and butterflies feed at the top of the nettles
• Many little creatures lay their eggs on nettles, such as the Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma butterflies.

If you want a variety of birds and butterflies in your garden, leave a patch of nettles to grow!

“A nettle’s sting is like a hypodermic needle. It’s a hollow hair which is made of silica and contains a venom, composed of histamine, acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine amongst other substances which have yet to be identified. The hair is extremely brittle and it only takes the lightest of brushes to break off the point and inject its unlucky victim.

However, it’s exactly this stinging power which has allowed a special relationship between nettles and over 40 species of invertebrates to develop. The invertebrates such as caterpillars, ladybirds and aphids are protected between the stinging hairs of the leaves from grazing animals, such as sheep and cattle. This bounty of insect prey, in turn, attracts amphibians, hedgehogs and agile woodland birds.

A few butterflies and moth species rely heavily on nettle patches for the larval and breeding stages of their lifecycles.” – Scottish Wildlife Trust

They’re good for people too!

• Nettles are are a good source of calcium, magnesium and iron as well as other trace elements and vitamins
• They can be used instead of spinach in stews and soups
• They are used by Native Americans to treat aches and pains
• Some people use them to treat gout and arthritis
• They can even produce sustainable fibre for material and clothing

Rather than growing nettles in a dark corner of the garden, try to leave a patch of them in a sunny area. This helps to attract the insects and they’re more likely to lay their eggs.

If you’re growing an insect friendly garden to encourage wildlife, I strongly recommend allowing the stingy plants we hated as children to grow in at least one area of your garden.

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