Deadnettle
Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) and white deadnettle (Lamium album): Hairy, heart-shaped to egg-shaped leaves with toothed edges grow on a square, hollow stem.
The white or purple flowers sit just above the leaves around the stem. Visually, it resembles the stinging nettle, but it does not form stinging hairs.
Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum)
Image source: S. Geiberger
Family and collection time
White deadnettle (Lamium album)
Image source: S. Geiberger
Deadnettle belongs to the family of the lilac family….
Parts of the plant used: Flowers, leaves
Collection time in detail:
- Flowers and leaves: they can be collected all year round. From April to October, the flowers make it easier to identify and find
Ingredients: (selection)
- Saponins
- Tannins
- Essential oil
- Flavone glycosides
Healing effect and application
Healing properties:
Blood purifying, cell protecting, anti-inflammatory, hormone balancing, anti-cancer, mood enhancing.
Application in naturopathy:
Menstrual and menopausal problems, digestive problems, compresses for skin diseases.
In the kitchen:
All species of deadnettle can be used in the kitchen.
Recipe for the kitchen: deadnettle in batter coat
“Collect the shoots that have just blossomed. You grab them by the stem end and dip them in pancake batter. Bake them in hot oil and serve the whole either sweet with compote – or salty with herb curd”.
Recipe from: Unsere eßbaren Wildpflanzen, page 134, Rudi Beiser, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co.KG, Stuttgart
References:
Beiser, Rudi: Our edible wild plants. Kosmos Nature Guide 2018
Bühring, Ursel: Praxis-Lehrbuch der modernen Heilpflanzenkunde; Grundlagen – Anwendung – Therapie. Sonntag Publishing House Stuttgart 2005
Pahlow, M. Pharmacist: Medicinal Plants. Bechtermünz Publishing House Augsburg 2001
Schneider, Christine: Finding wild herbs. Ulmer Publishing House Stuttgart 2017
Recipe by Dr. Markus Strauß www.dr-strauss.net
