Pictured above is a large population of Purple Dead Nettle in a Union County field. (Photo submitted)
Editor’s note: The following submission comes from Wayne Dellinger, Union County Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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You may have noticed more shades of purple in farm fields, ditches, and even turfgrass across the county lately. Purple Dead Nettle has appeared in greater numbers this spring than typical. Closely related to Henbit, they both are members of the mint family with square stems and purple blooms. They are often found growing together.
To tell the difference, you need to look at the leaves. The upper leaves of Purple Dead Nettle will have short petioles (stalk that joins leaf to stem) and the leaves will be triangular. Henbit leaves are attached directly to the upper stems and are more scalloped and rounded. They are winter annuals which means they germinate in the fall, live through the winter, and then reach the reproductive stage (blooms and seeds) in the early spring. Purple Dead Nettle gets a head start in seasons like this when the winter was comparatively mild.
Purple Dead Nettle is considered a food source for pollinators in the months of March and April. This includes both honeybees and bumblebees. It is considered edible for humans with the leaves and stems having a grassy/floral flavor and the purple tops even tasting a little sweet. Folk medicine also claims that the plant has medicinal properties. In contrast, the closely related Henbit has been found to cause problems when ingested by sheep.
In turfgrass, mowing is not an effective control measure. The plants will die out with increased temperatures. Dense grass growth that out-competes the Purple Dead Nettle is the best control.
In agricultural fields, fall application of chemical control is the best option to prevent dense populations in the spring which slow the fields from drying out in a timely matter to plant intended crops. If the fall application was inadequate or not possible, a spring application to kill the plants may be necessary.
For more information, those interested call Wayne Dellinger at the Union County Extension Office at 937-644-8117 or email dellinger.6@osu.edu.