henbit.

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe

Einfach

Pflanzenart

Winter annual herb

Licht

Full sun to partial shade

Licht im Innenraum

Hell, indirekt

Gießen

Alle 3 bis 7 Tage

Endgröße

10 to 30 centimeters

Wachstum

Schnell

Winterhärte

USDA 4 bis 9

Blütezeit

Early spring to late autumn

Pflege

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.

Gießen

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during its active growth phase.

Düngen

Fertilizer is rarely needed as this plant grows readily in most garden soils.

Schneiden

Remove the plants before they set seed if you want to prevent them from spreading.

Umtopfen

Since it is an annual, it is best to simply replace the plant each season.

Boden

Well draining loamy soil

Boden-pH

6.0 to 7.5

Temperatur

-15 bis 30°C

Luftfeuchtigkeit

40 bis 70%

Sicherheit

Menschen

This plant is generally considered non-toxic to humans.

Kinder

There are no specific safety concerns for children, though it is best to discourage eating wild plants.

Kontaktallergene

Some individuals may experience mild skin irritation from handling the stems.

Allergene in der Luft

The pollen is not considered a significant allergen.

Essbarkeit

While the leaves are technically edible, they are often bitter and not recommended for consumption.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

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

Höhe

0,1 bis 0,3m

Breite

0,15 bis 0,4m

Blätter

green, deciduous

Blüten

pink, purple, 0,5 bis 1,5cm

Früchte

brown, Summer

Häufige Probleme

• Powdery mildew — A fungal infection that appears as white dusty spots on the leaves.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung

seed

Pflanzzeit

spring, autumn

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

Gute Pflanzpartner

• Common Chickweed — They often grow together in disturbed garden beds as early spring colonizers.

Ähnliche Arten

• Purple deadnettle — It looks very similar but has triangular, stalked leaves rather than clasping ones.

Botanisches

Familie

Lamiaceae

Gattung

Lamium

Ordnung

Lamiales

Klasse

Magnoliopsida

Ursprüngliche Heimat

Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

Artenschutz

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.

Nutzen für Wildtiere

early season nectar source

Bestäuber

Bienen

Verwendung

ground cover, pollinator support

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

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.

Woher der Name kommt

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.

Gut zu wissen

• 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.