Weed of the Week-Henbit
I wrote about dead nettle a few weeks ago. A weed that closely resembles it is henbit. Like dead nettle, henbit germinates from seed in the fall and grows into a very small plant, which overwinters through December and January. It begins growing again very early in late winter and is often flowering by late February or early March in North Mississippi. Henbit is in full bloom right now around Tupelo, Oxford and New Albany.
Henbit has square stems along with bright purple flowers. It can grow into large clumps 12-15 inches tall if left unmowed or untreated. Its name probably originated from its seeds serving as food for chickens. Some wildlife enjoy eating this plant including voles-which you’d rather not encourage in your landscape.
Winter annual weeds such as henbit germinate in the fall, overwinter as a small plant and begin growing again in early spring. They complete their life cycle and go to seed in spring or early summer. The best strategy for control of these weeds is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall for prevention. A professional lawn care service that provides a program to attack these weeds is your best defense. Check out our Lawn 360 program.
If this weed or others are already growing in your lawn, they can be controlled with a properly applied herbicide. Reach out to Lawn & Pest Solutions at 662-534-4535 or www.lawnandpest.net/estimate and one of our certified technicians will be glad to give you an assessment of your lawn and answer your questions.
