Henbit

Henbit, Henbit Deadnettle

Lamium amplexicaule L.

Lamiaceae (Mint Family)

seedlings ▲

mature, flowering plants ▲ ▼

flowers ▲

mature, flowering plant ▲

flowers, stem-tip leaves ▲ ▼

▼ ▲ flowera

lawn with heavy henbit infestation in spring ▲

Henbit and Deadnettle:

Henbit:
- winter annual with square stems opposite, rounded, lobed leaves
- upright-pointing flowers
- upper leaves join around the stems
Deadnettle: (pp. 332-333, Weeds of the Great Plains; mentioned on pp. 248-249, Weeds of the Northeast)
- similar, with opposite, heart-shaped, somewhat lobed, fuzzy leaves
- flowers held under leaves or in leaf axils
- upper leaves do not join around the stems
- is an alternate host for soybean pests
both germinate in mid to late fall, remain green through most of the winter, then resume growth and produce bright purple flowers in spring and are in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family
usually more of a problem in warm-season turf lawns instead of cool-season
prefer fertile, well-aerated soils, full-sun, but may grow in shade
best control with fall-applied pre-emergent or post-emergent herbicides