Table of Contents
What is Henbit? Henbit plants are sparsely hairy and have green or purplish, square stems. The leave form in pairs along the stem and are round or heart-shaped with rounded teeth on the edges and prominent veins on the underside. The upper leaves attach directly to the stem, while the lower leaves have petioles.
What is the difference between dead nettle and henbit?
Henbit flowers are pink to purple with darker purple spots than those of purple deadnettle. The flowers of henbit are longer and more slender than those of purple deadnettle. The leaves of purple deadnettle at the apex of the stems are tinted purple and fade to green as they mature.
Are creeping Charlie and henbit the same thing?
Henbit is a winter annual while ground ivy or creeping charlie is a perennial. Henbit on the other hand, will have only a single tap-root. It does not produce roots at a joint that touches the ground. Now that we can identify these two plants, the question of control often comes up.
Can people eat henbit?
Henbit is often considered a weed, growing in home gardens and crop fields, but the plant is also a wild edible green collected by foragers. Most of the plant is edible, including the stems, leaves, and flowers, and the young plants are favored for their tender texture and mild, green, slightly peppery flavor.
What plant looks like henbit?
A close cousin of purple dead nettle is henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). It shares the square stem of the mint family and its mild scent. Henbit’s round green leaves with deeply scalloped edges attach to a deep red short stem. Its pink flowers have a much longer tube than dead nettle flowers.
How do you harvest henbit?
Harvesting just the top few inches of the stems of this species in no way threatens the plant’s survival. In fact, henbit will grow back even bushier and more tender if you harvest this way. Lamium plants may be in the mint family, but they don’t taste anything like mint.
Is ground ivy a henbit?
Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), also a member of the mint family, differs from henbit in that it is a perennial. All leaves of ground ivy will have a stalk (called a petiole) attaching it to the stem.
Is henbit good for cows?
The henbit is a member of the mint family. Henbit does not smell minty, but it is an edible mint. By they way, there are no poisonous look alikes. As for toxicity, we’re safe but it has causes “staggers” in sheep, horses, and cattle.
Can you eat henbit raw?
Henbit can be consumed fresh or cooked as an edible herb, and it can be used in teas. The stem, flowers, and leaves are edible, and although this is in the mint family, many people say it tastes slightly like raw kale, not like mint. It is very nutritious, high in iron, vitamins and fibre.
Why is it called henbit?
Henbit is a cool season annual weed in the mint family introduced from Europe. The common name, Henbit, comes from the observation that chickens like it. Hummingbirds also enjoy this wild edible for the nectar.
How tall does henbit get?
The plant generally grows four to six inches tall, but can get up to a foot tall. It prefers sunny spots in moist, fertile soils, but is adaptable to dry and shady areas. Henbit has a taproot that is somewhat fibrous. It is easy to pull from moist soil.
How do I get rid of Henbits in flower beds?
In landscaped beds, one can simply pull henbit and suppress its growth with mulch. In spring, you will want to use a post-emergent herbicide like MSM Turf or Fahrenheit. MSM Turf is a dry flowable herbicide that can be used to control many broadleaf weeds.
Is deadnettle invasive?
Lamium maculatum (Spotted Dead Nettle) is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
Can you eat deadnettle?
Purple deadnettle is not only a wild edible green, but a highly nutritious superfood. The leaves are edible, with the purple tops being even a little sweet. Purple deadnettle can also be added to soups, salads, or blended into smoothies. Basically any way that you would use any other green leafy vegetable or herb.
What can I make with henbit?
Henbit leaves are especially versatile. You can eat them raw, cook them as a potherb, or boil them to make herbal tea. Younger leaves taste especially delicious in salads while older ones taste better cooked as a potherb. The flavor of henbit leaves compliment egg and pasta dishes really well.
What animals eat henbit?
The seeds of such plants are eaten by the Mourning Dove, Chipping Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, House Sparrow, and Field Sparrow; the Ruffed Grouse also browses on the leaves.
Is henbit an invasive species?
The blooms are the flowering stage of Lamium amplexicaule (LAM-ee-um am-plex-i-kaw-lee), a pervasive, invasive weed with the common name of henbit. Henbit is a low-growing winter annual with a spreading, sprawling growth habit. It is in the Lamiaceae family, the same family as mint.
How do you get rid of purple deadnettle?
Remove by Hand A common strategy for purple dead nettle control in lawns is to pull the weeds up by the roots and dispose of them. This option works well if you only have a few of the weeds on your lawn. Be sure to remove all pieces of the plant, as they can regerminate if given the chance.
