
Stinging Nettle
I discovered a great way to treat “plant stings” while in the woods. I was in the woods doing an herb walk for my master herbalist seminar, and I was at the back of a line of 32 people, so I didn’t hear the teacher talking about the Stinging Nettles plant they were walking by. When I got up to it, it caught my eye, because I had been studying plant identification cards. I asked the guy behind me, but he didn’t know what it was and suggested I pick off a part to ask the teacher.
I didn’t see any thorns on it, so I picked off the top with my bare hands. I felt a tiny sting, but not enough to think much about it. I took it to the teacher, who informed me that it was indeed stinging nettle. Duh!

Plantain (some regard as a weed)
I thought it was novel I was actually holding it, so I showed the other students at the back of the line, and then tossed it away. One of them handed me a leaf of Hound’s Tongue, which I started rubbing on my finger that was stinging a little. My finger felt better, but I felt a little idiotic about the whole thing.
Dr. Christopher taught that if you ever close encounter Poison Ivy or Stinging Nettles in the woods, a remedy will be growing nearby. When you’re camping or hiking, especially with kids, this is a valuable thing to know! Just look for plantain, mullein or hounds tongue, pick a leaf, bruise it up a bit, and rub it on the affected area.

Mullien (take a drive in the mountains and you'll see those stalks all over the place)
I have a couple field guides I take camping to help me identify plants. After learning and locking in to my brain what a few certain plants look like, I am noticing them everywhere. It’s a wonderful thing to have so many helpful plant tools available for our use.
Dr. Christopher does sell already made rash ointment, which I’ve used on many occasions and highly recommend.
Picture credit for top left: From a website called kitchentablemedicine.com with a great article on The Healing Power of Stinging Nettles. Bottom pictures: From a card reference set called Nature’s Medicine Chest ID and Use Cards.








