In the brown March garden, there are small and exciting signs of wild botanical life. In Harlem last summer I was thrilled to discover a nettle plant growing in a blueberry bush's pot. I don't know how it got there; perhaps the seed was in the soil when the blueberry was field dug by its growers, in New Jersey. Perhaps nettles I collected shed seed, but don't think so. But there it was, and I allowed it to grow fat in the pot.
When we moved to Carroll Gardens I planted it at the back of our new garden, near a stand of existing Solomon's seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum 'Variegatum' - such a mouthful). And now it is up. They are delicious, and full of flavor. Also hard to find, locally. I only know of one nettle patch in Manhattan. Now two. If you grow nettles snip the mature stalks before or when they set seed, to control their spread. And you can harvest the spring leaves repeatedly. Blanch in boiling water to de-sting them.
Ha! Also hard to find (if you are a city forager): indigenous sweet fern, Comptonia peregrina. Not a fern at all. It has a very strong scent which I love, and I cook with it as often as I can. I have two shrubs, now, both developing catkins, having made it through winter as well.
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Nettle pesto, yum! I let some of mine go to seed and when the soil is rich usually get a second crop before winter.
ReplyDeleteI am sure it has to do with my upbringing, but you missed part of the common name, "stinging" nettles... Here in central WI, there are nothing other than a hard to control weed with running roots and leaves that with the merest touch cause severe contact dermatitis. While the tender shoots may make a good soup and the sap a vegan substitute for rennet; I would not choose to grow them because of their invasive properties. The smallest root cutting will form a new plant.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have lots of stinging experience having collected them in several springs. Ouch. To me "nettle" implies stinging but I suppose dead nettle is another. Let's stick to Urtica :-)
DeleteInteresting to hear that they are so aggressive in WI, with your very cold winters.
I do love them, though - to me this is a sought-after crop. But I will bear the warnings in mind. Thank you.
I think they prefer the cold as they are the last to go dormant and one of the first to emerge.
DeleteSweet fern grows on practically every roadside in Maine! The little green seeds inside the burs are a tasty treat too.
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