How to Identify Henbit
Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is one of the first weeds to bloom each spring, producing clusters of small pink-purple tubular flowers on upright square stems. The leaves are scalloped (rounded teeth on the edges), heart-shaped to round, and the upper leaves clasp directly around the stem without a leaf stalk.
It’s in the mint family (square stems like creeping charlie) but grows upright rather than creeping. Plants are typically 4 to 12 inches tall and often form patches of purple-pink flowers visible from a distance in early spring lawns.
Life Cycle and Timing
Henbit is a winter annual. It germinates in September or October, survives winter as a small rosette, then grows rapidly and flowers in March and April. By late May it sets seed and dies. The seeds sit in soil until the following fall, when the cycle repeats.
This means the treatment window is either fall (pre-emergent in early September to prevent germination) or early spring (post-emergent before it sets seed). By the time most homeowners notice it, the flowers are already producing seeds for next year.
