What the heck is this weed and where did it come from?

[bitternut]

This weed seems to pop up just about in any tilled earth very early in spring with purple blossoms. It only grows about four inches high. I don't remember ever seeing it years ago. Now it blooms every spring in fields that were harvested last fall and of course in the garden. Roundup knocks it out but there must be billions of seed because any soil that does not get tilled regularly will have recurring blooms of this stuff. It even grows well on the shoulder of roadways.

What is the name of this weed and where did it come from.

???



 

[Crusarius]

That is the infamous money tree. Surprised to see that much fruit with it being so little

[rusticretreater]

Henbit, an annual winter weed, is a member of the mint family. If you rub the stem of these purple flowers between your fingers, you will find that it has a square-shaped stem and minty smell. Left untreated and un-mowed, these weeds can grow 12 inches or taller, while producing many purple flowers.

[Crusarius]

At least they look nice. My wife and I decided to plant some peppermint and spearmint in the garden one year. Not thinking anything of it, they spread!! and they spread like crazy. Also if you get them to close together your get speppermint. 

Now we have random spots of peppermint and spearmint growing all over the place. I am not complaining at all because it helps keeps skeeters down and smells really nice when you mow

[Dangerous_Dan]

Purple dead nettle.

[thecfarm]

A square stem is from the mint family.
Them mints can spread and take over fast.
The wife has many mints and herbs beds.
We have many rocks around here; I built a frame and plant around a rock. Have to mow around the rock, so a good place for the herbs. This also keeps them separate.
 

[SwampDonkey]

Nice looking weed anyway, beats lamb's quarters and burdock. :D

[Don P]

I don't know if it is a common thing or a one off. We were working on an old house with a healthy mint bed planted up against the foundation. The termites were running in tunnels that had been the roots. That mint bed is no more  :D.

[thecfarm]

Never seen no termites in the wife's herbs.  :D

And you must have removed A LOT of dirt to get rid of the herbs.
One little root and it will start to grow.

[Don P]

Uh-huh. Think gravel filled moat  ;D.

[bitternut]

Well glad to hear that it is edible and not poisonous. The way food prices are going and the way that stuff grows I will have something to eat. :D When I took that picture I needed something to show a size reference and figured using that dollar bill might trigger a response. :laugh: The way that stuff grows I sure wish money did grow on it.

Now that I know what it is does anyone know if it is a native plant or an import? It doesn't really matter, just curious.

[Southside]

The leaf and flower color do look like Dead Nettle, but the shape is different.  If it is nettle the bees absolutely love the stuff and get a lot of nectar from it. Important early season source for them.  

[kantuckid]

Last spring my buddy and neighbor asked me about this group of plants which he and I have lots of. 
I googled a bunch and came up with three plants, all very similar. They often grow in close by areas to each other which confuses things more. 
Sorry but my memory remembers only the henbit name. 
Look & see it's not an easy three plants to get a handle on!

[SwampDonkey]

Up this way another mint is bee balm, been in the flower bed by the road for 40 years. It's a miracle it survived because the false carnation in that bed is like the borg. :D

[wisconsitom]

Looks like Lamium-deadnettle.  Not same as stinging nettle, and yes, in mint family.

Non-native landscape groundcover, many variants.  Escapes and naturalizes locally, not a widespread invasive threat as far as I know.  

[newoodguy78]

I've been noticing a lot of that around on people's lawns lately. It's nice to see that kind of color this time of year. Even if it is a weed  :D

[wisconsitom]

Another mint-family member with similar flowers and foliage is Ajuga, aka bugleweed.  Can get in lawns and coexists with the turf quite well.

Bugle foliage tends to be more glossy, less toothed margins, and the flowers are held in more of a spike arrangement, though still tiny.

[Don P]

I've been noticing a lot of that around on people's lawns lately. It's nice to see that kind of color this time of year. Even if it is a weed  :D

My Aunt would say "A weed is just a flower in the wrong place" 

[wisconsitom]

Y'all in the northern half-most bulbs don't do in the south-oughta try planting a bunch of Siberian squill bulbs in your lawn.  Of course I'm one of these boring guys that never post pics....but that is the most impressive spring display of brilliant cobalt blue, and the little plants can just be mowed later after bloom time and then like all spring flowering bulbs, will fade away completely by summer, only to reappear next spring.  Stunning effect, but don't plant ten bulbs.  More like a thousand, and then they'll multiply forever.

  Scilla siberica-a bulb about an inch around, planted maybe three inches deep, right next to each other.  Plant in fall, blooms early spring.