Is henbit a perennial?

No, it is a winter annual that completes its life cycle in one year.

How do I get rid of it?

You can pull it by hand before it goes to seed or use a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall.

Plant guide

Henbit.

Lamium amplexicaule

Pronounced LAY-mee-um am-plex-ih-KAW-lee

Also known as Common Henbit, Dead-Nettle, Giraffehead, Hen-Bit, Hen-Bit Dead-Nettle, Henbit, Henbit Dead-nettle, Henbit Deadnettle

Lamium amplexicaule — Photo by Linda Jo Conn (CC BY) via gbif

Henbit is a common winter annual that pops up in gardens and lawns during the cooler months. It produces small, tubular pinkish purple flowers that look lovely in early spring. You will often find it growing in disturbed soil or open fields.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Winter annual herb
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 10 to 30 centimeters
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 4 to 9
Bloom time: Early spring to late autumn

Care

This plant is generally considered a weed and thrives on neglect in cool, moist conditions. Watch for it spreading quickly if you let it go to seed in your flower beds. It prefers consistent moisture but is quite adaptable to various soil types.

Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during its active growth phase.
Feeding: Fertilizer is rarely needed as this plant grows readily in most garden soils.
Pruning: Remove the plants before they set seed if you want to prevent them from spreading.
Repotting: Since it is an annual, it is best to simply replace the plant each season.
Soil: Well draining loamy soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.5
Temperature: -15 to 30°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%

Safety

People: This plant is generally considered non-toxic to humans.
Children: There are no specific safety concerns for children, though it is best to discourage eating wild plants.
Contact allergens: Some individuals may experience mild skin irritation from handling the stems.
Airborne allergens: The pollen is not considered a significant allergen.
Edibility: While the leaves are technically edible, they are often bitter and not recommended for consumption.

How to identify it

Square stems typical of mint family
Opposite, rounded leaves with scalloped edges
Small tubular pink to purple flowers
Upper leaves clasp the stem directly

Height: 0.1 to 0.3m
Spread: 0.15 to 0.4m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: pink, purple, 0.5 to 1.5cm
Fruit: brown, Summer

Problems to watch for

AphidsCommon
Powdery MildewCommon
Root RotUncommon
Slugs and SnailsUncommon

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring, autumn

Because it is an aggressive grower, it is best to manage it as a temporary cover crop rather than a permanent companion.

Grows well with

Chickweed · They often grow together in disturbed garden beds as early spring colonizers.

Similar species

Purple Deadnettle · It looks very similar but has triangular, stalked leaves rather than clasping ones.

Science

Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Lamium
Order: Lamiales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
Conservation: This plant is a widespread weed and is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed soils and cool weather, often colonizing gardens and fields before other plants emerge.

Value to wildlife: early season nectar source
Pollinators: bees
Uses: ground cover, pollinator support

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 6/9
Temperature: 4/9
Moisture: 5/9
Nutrients: 6/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is henbit a perennial?: No, it is a winter annual that completes its life cycle in one year.
How do I get rid of it?: You can pull it by hand before it goes to seed or use a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall.

Where the name comes from

The name Lamium comes from the Greek word for throat, referring to the shape of the flowers, while amplexicaule describes how the leaves clasp the stem.

Good to know

It is commonly called henbit because chickens love to peck at the foliage.
The leaves wrap around the stem, which is how it earned its scientific name.
It is a winter annual, meaning it germinates in the fall and blooms in the spring.

Keep your henbit growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.