Alaska Dye Plants: Nettle | Urtica Dioica

Alaska Dye Plants: Nettle | Urtica Dioica

Stinging Nettle is a powerful herb and a great addition to tea blends and seasonal dishes. It has been used for hundreds of years to treat muscle pains, sore joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and its high iron levels make it a great treatment for anemia. Women have also used it to relieve PMS symptoms like cramping and bloating, as well as to reduce blood flow during menstruation. It’s an herb that is always well-stocked in my house and is a regular addition to my diet. I love nettles!

When we moved into our current house in 2020, I was shocked at how big the nettle patch was on the north side of the property. Some of the plants were over 5 ft tall! Very healthy plants with a very strong sting. I was pleased when I learned you can coax a pleasant springy green dye from its spiky leaves.

Dyeing with Nettle

First of all, unless you like getting stung, remember to wear gloves when handling fresh nettles. Once you dry them or get them wet, they are safe to handle with your bare skin.

You want to harvest the youngest leaves on the stalk. You can do so by using your (gloved) fingers and pinching off the top 5 inches or so of the plant. The young leaves and the bit of stock you’ve harvested can go into your dye pot.

Nettle dye is reactive and will change color if you introduce iron or acid. Make sure your pot is very clean and neutralized.

Instead of boiling the nettles to release their color, you want to gently coax the color from its leaves. I’ve found that just adding hot water from your sink faucet and letting it sit overnight is all the heat it needs to extract the color.

After it has sat overnight and you are happy with the shade of green, strain out the leaves with a fine mesh sieve. Then you can heat your dye liquid to just below a simmer. Remove from the heat and add in your mordanted cloth. Let sit for a few hours or over night, stirring occasionally. Rinse, then hang your now dyed cloth to dry.

This dye works great on both cellulose and protein fibers with a moderate light and wash fastness.

*If you’re looking for a darker olive tone, add a pinch of iron into the dye pot.

Happy dyeing!