nettle

Photos and story by Lisa Pemberton, Puyallup Tribal News Editor Harvesting nettle looks like… Green and sometimes purple-tipped plants with pokey white hairs on the stem. Long sleeve shirts, jeans and sturdy leather gloves to protect you from the sting. Plastic buckets that fill up quickly – especially when you find a good patch! Harvesting nettle sounds like… Birds chirping. Scissors snipping. Friends visiting together. An opening prayer of gratitude, and a promise to only take what we need. Harvesting nettle smells like… Damp earth on a spring morning. Skunk cabbage from a nearby swamp. Coffee in a to-go cup…