For all my herb students

Purple Henbit

Another example of a plant with a million confusing names:Red Nettle, Red Dead-nettle, Red Henbit, Purple Henbit. So its not the dead nettle we are familiar with that grows in my garden, stinks! & looks like nettle. This one is shorter & has the red & green leaves.

Latin name is :  

Lamium purpureum

Use fresh & eat the new leaves or add to your spring infusion. It is good for kidneys, a bit laxative, a tonic, styptic, diaphoretic, tonic, full of iron, antioxidants, vitamins.

Another good spring green !

Nettles are up !

The nettles here are quite tall. For those of you who have taken my herb course remember how well it works as a pain killer when used externally -- Urtication.  I used it on my back & shoulder yesterday on sore muscles, works so well !

Also nettles are great in your spring infusions, and juiced. I had not tried that until just this week, but its true, it tastes great & doesn't sting when juiced raw.

Today I am trying raw vegan pesto with nettles.