A weed with a purpose

A weed is often defined as “a plant no one has found a use for.”

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), a winter annual wildflower in the mint family, is often considered a weed. It grows to about a foot tall with purple and white tubular flowers, each of which are about a half of an inch long.

The early spring flowers from Henbit provide pollen and nectar to the local bees and insects. I have read that it is called Henbit because chickens like to eat it, but the deer must eat it too because I do not see it where the deer roam. It is a wild forage plant that people can eat raw, cooked or as tea. Since Henbit is edible it is not really a weed because we have a use for it!

Henbit freely spreads its seeds, and there is no need to remove it as it helps the local pollinators. Mowing it does not harm it, and other meadow wildflowers can easily grow with it.