I had heard of it, but did not know if it really existed or was simply the lore of days gone by. I had heard of its tea as a good diuretic, which can help to lower blood pressure. I've even heard of eating contests with it. But in trying to pull weeds barehanded out by the garage, I got bit so to speak.
I was trying to pull this weed up by its roots and all of a sudden the intense stinging sensation hit three of my fingers. I let go and looked around, wondering if some insect had stung me. There were no stinging insects that I could see. I looked at the plant I was pulling and it seemed harmless enough. I looked at my hand and could see a little blood, but man the stinging sensation would not go away.
I went inside to wash my hands, and wondered in my mind if that were a stinging nettle plant. I had heard of them, but had never seen one as far as I know. It looked similar to other hairy weeds where I live, and so I really did not give it a second thought.
It apparently gets you by its stinging hairs, whose tips come off when touched, that make the hair become like a needle injecting at least three chemicals into you, one of which is histamine, like in hives.
It tends to be more of an English plant, and that is not found as much in America.