Lamium purpureum L.

Purple Dead Nettle; Red Henbit

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Purple Dead Nettle is an introduced cool-season annual in the Mint family (Lamiaceae). It is native to Asia and Europe. In Alabama it can be found primarily in the northern half of the state. Purple Dead Nettle grows on roadsides, in lawns, in cemeteries, and in other open, disturbed sites. It is an annual germinating in the autumn. Stems are unbranched or branched from near the base. The stems are green in color, 4-angled, glabrous, and 3-12 inches in height. Leaves are petiolate, opposite, cordate to deltoid in outline, pubescent, and with crenate margins. The upper-most leaves are often tinged with purple, especially on plants growing in full sun. Flowers are produced in a thyrse from the axils of the upper leaves. Individual flowers have a 5-lobed calyx, each lobe having a slender tooth. The corolla is 2-lipped with the lower lip having two lobes and the upper lip being hood-like. The corolla is pinkish-purple in color with darker purple spots on the lobes of the lower lip. The fruit is a mericarp. The common name 'Dead Nettle' refers to the similar appearance of this species to Stinging Nettles in the genus Urtica. Since this species lacks stinging hairs, it is “dead”.--A. Diamond

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Not Native

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