The golden nettle is very similar to the white dead nettle and can also be used in the same way. The plant is very common both in nature and in cultivation and prefers nutrient-rich, loamy soil.

The golden nettle is also used as a medicinal plant

The golden nettle as an ornamental plant

The golden nettle, which grows to a height of around 60 centimetres, forms a large number of runners and, thanks to this, spreads extremely quickly. For this reason, the perennial is particularly suitable as a ground cover under trees or at their edges, provided it is not too dark. The golden nettle prefers semi-shady to shady locations. In addition, the silvery leaves of the golden nettle provide a splash of color even in winter, as the plant is evergreen.

Gold nettles in the kitchen

Furthermore, all parts of the golden nettle - from the flowers, which taste honey-sweet thanks to the abundant nectar, to the roots - are edible. The flowers are very suitable as a decoration for desserts, for example, while the young leaves and shoots taste good raw in salads or steamed as wild spinach. The roots can be dug up in autumn and prepared as a vegetable, similar to salsify. In principle, the plant can be used all year round, although in winter only the roots and leaves, but not the shoots, should be harvested.

Golden nettles as a medicinal plant

But the golden nettle is not only known as a vegetable, but also as a medicinal plant, especially for colds. Both the flowers and the leaves contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial substances that are traditionally administered as a tea. For example, you can collect the tender leaves of the golden nettle in spring, dry them carefully - be careful! Never dry herbs in the sun, otherwise valuable ingredients will be lost! - and finally mix with other leaves and flowers of wild herbs. This is how you win a tasty herbal tea that you have put together yourself.

Make your own herbal tea

Putting together herbs for your own herbal tea blend is actually a science in itself. If you are interested in this, use no more than seven different herbs per mixture, with three to four usually being sufficient. You can mix and match leaves and flowers. Daisies, chamomile and linden blossoms, coltsfoot blossoms, buckhorn leaves and raspberry leaves go particularly well with golden nettle.

tips

When collecting wild herbs, you should never take plants from the edges of fields, paths or roadsides. These often contain many pollutants, for example from car exhaust fumes or pesticides sprayed in agriculture.

Category:

Herbs