Making a dead nettle tincture is a straightforward process: fill a jar with fresh or dried purple dead nettle, cover it with high-proof alcohol, and let it steep for 4 to 6 weeks. The result is a shelf-stable extract rich in flavonoids, antioxidants, and other plant compounds that have been used in folk herbalism for centuries. Here’s exactly how to do it, from harvesting the right plant to bottling your finished tincture.
Identify Purple Dead Nettle Correctly
Before you harvest anything, make sure you’re looking at purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) and not stinging nettle, which is a completely different plant. The name “dead” nettle refers to the fact that this plant has no sting at all. You can handle it with bare hands without any irritation.
Purple dead nettle is a small winter annual, typically around 12 inches tall and rarely exceeding 18 inches. Stinging nettle, by contrast, is a perennial that can shoot up 5 to 6 feet in summer. The leaf shape is the quickest tell: purple dead nettle has triangular or spade-shaped leaves that start green and turn purple as they mature, especially near the top of the plant. Stinging nettle has narrow, deeply serrated, pointy leaves covered in fine hairs that sting on contact.
The flowers are also distinct. Purple dead nettle produces small purple or lavender blooms clustered at the top of the stem, appearing in late winter or very early spring. Stinging nettle flowers are tiny, white or greenish-white, and don’t appear until late spring. If your plant is short, purple-topped, and blooming before much else in the garden, you likely have the right one. It’s a member of the mint family, so the stem will have a characteristic square shape when you roll it between your fingers.
When and How to Harvest
Purple dead nettle is at its peak in spring, sometimes pushing up through the last of the melting snow. The plant grows through spring and into early summer, then fades once the heat arrives. Harvest while the plant is actively blooming for the fullest range of compounds. Both the leaves and the flowers are usable in a tincture.
To collect, snip the stems about half an inch from the ground and gently shake each stem to dislodge dirt and insects. Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried but before the heat of the day, which helps preserve the plant’s volatile compounds. If you plan to use the herb fresh, you can move straight to tincture-making. If you want to dry it first, strip the leaves and flowers from the stems by hand or with a knife, then spread them on a screen or hang them in small bundles in a warm, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight until they’re crisp and crumbly.
Gather Your Supplies
You don’t need specialized equipment. Here’s what to have ready:
- A clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. A pint or quart mason jar works well. Avoid plastic, which can interact with alcohol over time.
- High-proof alcohol. 80-proof vodka (40% alcohol) works for most purposes. If you’re using fresh plant material, which contains water, 100-proof vodka (50% alcohol) is a better choice because the extra alcohol compensates for the moisture in the plant and keeps the final alcohol percentage high enough to preserve the tincture.
- Fresh or dried purple dead nettle. Leaves, flowers, and tender upper stems.
- A fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth for filtering the finished tincture.
- Dark glass dropper bottles for storing the final product.
The Tincture-Making Process
The ratios differ depending on whether you’re working with fresh or dried herb. For fresh purple dead nettle, use a 1:2 ratio by weight: one ounce of fresh herb to two ounces of alcohol. For dried herb, use a 1:5 ratio: one ounce of dried herb to five ounces of alcohol. The dried herb needs more solvent because it absorbs liquid as it rehydrates during extraction.
If you’d rather not weigh everything, the folk method works fine for home use. Loosely fill your jar about two-thirds full with fresh herb (or one-third full with dried herb), then pour alcohol over the plant material until it’s completely submerged with about an inch of liquid above it. Any plant matter poking above the alcohol line can develop mold, so push it down or add more alcohol.
Seal the jar tightly. If you’re using a metal lid, place a piece of parchment paper between the jar and the lid to prevent corrosion from the alcohol. Label the jar with the herb name and the date.
Steeping and Shaking
Place the jar in a cool, dark location like a cupboard or pantry. Let it sit for 4 to 6 weeks. Every few days, give the jar a gentle shake to redistribute the plant material and encourage extraction. You’ll notice the liquid darkening over the first week or two as the alcohol pulls compounds from the plant.
After 4 to 6 weeks, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl, squeezing the plant material to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the spent herb. For a cleaner final product, strain a second time through a coffee filter or several layers of cheesecloth. Thorough filtering removes plant sediment and helps extend the tincture’s useful life.
Storage and Shelf Life
Pour the finished tincture into dark glass dropper bottles or small amber jars. Dark glass protects the extract from light, which can degrade some of the active compounds over time. Store your tincture at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and heat. Alcohol-based tinctures do not need refrigeration.
When made with an adequate alcohol percentage (at least 25% in the final product), a tincture is shelf-stable for a minimum of two years. Tinctures made with higher-proof alcohol, such as 100-proof vodka, can remain potent for 3 to 5 years. Proper storage and thorough filtering both help extend that window.
What Purple Dead Nettle Offers
Purple dead nettle contains flavonoids, mucilage (a gel-like fiber), and a range of antioxidant compounds including phenylpropanoid glycosides. The plant is also naturally rich in vitamins A and C and provides iron. In traditional herbalism, it has been used to support the body’s response to seasonal allergies and minor inflammation, and as a gentle astringent.
The flavonoids and antioxidant compounds are the most studied components of the Lamium genus. A comprehensive review published in the journal Molecules cataloged a wide range of bioactive compounds across Lamium species, including hydroxycinnamic acids, iridoids, and anthocyanins (the same pigments responsible for the plant’s purple color). While large-scale clinical trials on purple dead nettle specifically are limited, the chemical profile aligns with other well-regarded anti-inflammatory and antioxidant herbs in the mint family.
Safety Considerations
Purple dead nettle is generally well-tolerated, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Plants in the nettle family may stimulate uterine contractions, so purple dead nettle tincture is best avoided during pregnancy. People taking blood thinners or blood pressure medications should be cautious, as some compounds in the plant may interact with these drugs.
If you have known allergies to plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae), start with a very small amount and watch for any skin reaction or digestive upset. And as with any foraged plant, only harvest from areas you know are free of pesticides, herbicides, and heavy traffic runoff.