purple deadnettle
Family
LamiaceaeScientific Name
Lamium purpureum
Other Common Names:
hybrid deadnettle
red deadnettle
Habit
Low growing winter weed with erect flowering stems that usually grow to about 10 to 25 cm tall. Stems are square and four-sided. Seedlings emerge in fall and early spring. Flower production may start in the fall but predominately occurs in spring and early summer. Plants completely die during hot summer months.
Leaves
Leaves are hairy and triangular (about 30 mm wide and 50 mm long) pointed at the tip and may have rounded to pointed teeth. Leaves are on short stalks and tend to droop downward such that the leaf tips often touch the stem below. The lower leaves have long petioles, while the upper leaves have short petioles. The leaves may also appear to be purple/bronzed.
Identifying Characteristics
Purple deadnettle has square stems and opposite leaves with rounded to pointed teeth. Leaves tend to droop downward on bent stalks (petioles). Plants produce characteristic mint-like flowers that are pink to purple. It is commonly confused with its family member henbit deadnetttle; however, purple deadnettle's leaves are larger with generally longer petioles.
Flower Seed Head
The small flowers are pink to purple and arise from leaf axils near the tip of erect stems. Flower parts are united into a two lipped tube. The inside of the tube has purple splotches.
Seed Fruit
Seed are brown to light brown with lighter speckles. Seed are about 2 mm long and have two angular flat sides and a rounded back.
Where Found
A common weed of lawns and other turfgrass areas, plants are often noticed after flower production starts in the spring. Plants are also common in home gardens, nursery crops and other agricultural crops.
Growth Habit
upright and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
Varies:
pencil,
dime
Dominant Flower Color
purple
Flower Symmetry
bilateral symmetry
Leaf Hairs
has hairs
Leaf Shape
Varies:
round,
lance,
oval
Leaf Arrangement
opposite
Leaf Margin
lobed
Leaf Structure
simple
Leaf Stalk
Varies:
shorter than leaf,
longer than leaf
Stem Hairs
has hairs
Stem Cross Section
square or multi-edged
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
fibrous
Life Cycle
winter annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb