Nicholas St. John, age 8, of DeKalb, Ill., for his question:

WHAT IS A STINGING NETTLE?

A stinging nettle is one of a group of plants that have stinging bristles. They are coarse herbs found in the northern temperate regions.

Nettles grow to be four feet tall. They have toothed leaves that grow in pairs opposite each other. The bristles of the nettle contain a watery juice that produces an intense itch when it enters a person's skin. This itch does not last long. In places where the skin is thick, nettle bristles usually have no effect.

Young shoots of nettles can be cooked and eaten. The great nettle of Europe, which can also now be found in the United States, has sometimes been cultivated for its fiber, from which a strong, coarse cloth can be made.