How to cure a nettle sting? | A closer look at dock leaves

Join James Ashworth and Museum scientist Shathuki Perera as they delve into the fascinating world of stinging nettles and dock leaves! 🌿

Have you ever been stung by a stinging nettle? Be honest, was your first instinct to reach for a dock leaf? In this week's video, we're using nettle and dock specimens from the Museum collection to answer the question: do dock leaves work?

Ever wondered why nettles sting? What do dock leaves look like? Or how nettles and dock leaves have been referred to in the past? You've come to the right place.

Check out our Surprising Science about why dock leaves may not be the cure for a nettle sting 👉    • Does rubbing a dock leaf on a nettle ...  

#NaturalHistoryMuseum #StingingNettle #DockLeaf
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00:00 Introduction
00:16 Why do stinging nettles sting?
01:06 What happens to insects on stinging nettles?
01:49 What is the ecological importance of stinging nettles
02:23 Dock leaves and their relationship with nettles
02:57 Historical references to nettles and docks
03:48 How to identify different species of dock
04:41 Uses and benefits of dock leaves
05:53 Can you eat nettles and docks?
06:23 Conclusion and farewell