one small clump of rhizomes with shoots.
Regular Nettle (Urtica dioica) - Classic nettle, tasty, nutritious, spreads at a medium to fast pace, lots of stings, excellent early spring shoots.

Fen Nettle (Urtica dioica subsp. galeopsifolia) - Larger leaves, less stingy, more of a clumping form. Thicker stems are easier to harvest leaves from but less good for spring shoots.

‘Big Leaf’ (Urtica dioica) - A selection I purchased from Oikos tree crops awhile ago. I don’t think the leaves are all that big, but offering them anyway.

‘Less Sting’ (Urtica dioica) - Another selection from Oikos. Definitely has less active stinging hairs then the regular nettle, but still enough that most people will want to wear gloves.
 

The early spring leaves are the best, but anytime
before the the plant blooms you can harvest leaves to eat, make tea or dry for later use. Cooking or drying deactivates the sting and very young plants don't have the sting to begin with. One of the most nutrient dense foods around. Easy to grow, grows larger and faster with extra moisture and/or nitrogen. Zone 4 hardy perennial.