Urticaceae Urtica dioica L.

Stinging Nettle

Makah - Dye, Green

Use documented by:
Gill, Steven J., 1983, Ethnobotany of the Makah and Ozette People, Olympic Peninsula, Washington (USA), Washington State University, Ph.D. Thesis, page 246

View all documented uses for Urtica dioica L.

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Scientific name: Urtica dioica L.
USDA symbol: URDID (View details at USDA PLANTS site)
Common names: Stinging Nettle
Family: Urticaceae
Family (APG): Urticaceae
Native American Tribe: Makah
Use category: Dye
Use sub-category: Green
Notes: Leaves rubbed on fishing line to give it a green color or used as medicine for good fishing. An informant said, 'As a child I saw my father when he'd take this halibut line, fish line, and he'd tighten it from one end of the yard to the other, while it was being stretched like that, otherwise they coil and tangle you know. He'd take a handful of those leaves and he'd rub it along the line and it gave it kind of a green color. I don't know if that was just for the color or if he thought there was some medicine in it or something, for good fishing or something. Might have been just to tint the line.'

RECRD: 6177 id: 41706

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