deadnettle
Sprouting weeds are one of the first signs of spring, but unlike other buds and blooms, we tend not to welcome these plants. There are three weedy plants that clients invariably ask me about.
Here is the most common question I get: “There is this little weed with tiny white flowers, it’s everywhere, and it pops seeds when I try to pull it out. What the heck is this?” I’ll bet you know exactly what I’m talking about, and I’m sure I could find some in most any backyard in Lexington. It is Cardamine hirsuta, better known as hairy bittercress.
Hairy bittercress is an annual with a pretty little basal rosette of leaves. Flowering stems, just a few inches long, grow out of the center of the rosette. Look very closely and you may see scattered hairs on the leaves, especially around their bases. Tubular seed pods project nearly straight upwards, each containing many tiny seeds. If you try to pull the plant after the seed pods ripen, you will experience their carpet bombing attributes. Seeds everywhere, projected as far as 10 feet.
This plant produces flowers and seeds vigorously before most other plants have reached the reproductive stage. It can complete its life cycle in three to four weeks to disperse thousands of seeds, all of which can germinate to release their own seeds in quick succession, so it can dominate yards and gardens if not caught in the early stages. They grow best in damp, recently disturbed soil, which pretty much defines garden beds in the spring.
Hairy bittercress is a member of the mustard family. While we do have beautiful native mustards, this is not one of them – it is native to Europe and Asia. Apparently the young, tender leaves add a peppery bite to a salad and can be added to soups.
Another common weed is from the genus Lamium. Actually, there are two similar plants: purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) and henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Both are in the mint family and have that characteristic square stem but no minty odor. Pinkish or purplish tiny tubular flowers grow in whorls around the stem. These plants grow in moist, disturbed areas and look very much alike. If you’re interested in telling them apart, here’s how: purple deadnettle’s leaves have a stem (petiole), a pointed tip and a triangular shape; henbit’s upper leaves have no stems and are circular or heart shaped, with big, scalloped edges.
These are winter annuals, meaning that they start their life cycles in the fall with seed germination and flower and set seed in the spring. They are invasive and non-native. Where these plants are common, they are important nectar and pollen sources for bees, especially the non-native honeybees.
And these plants are edible, too. For some spicy flavor, use raw in salads or add to soups and stews. Nutritious, high in iron, vitamins and fiber.
There is a species of deadnettle, Lamium maculatum, that is sold as a groundcover. I never use this because it is extremely aggressive and hard to get rid of once it starts to take over. Which it will.
And, for the third weed I’m most likely to hear about, I’ll go with ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea.) Another non-native, it shares similarities with purple deadnettle and henbit: tubular flowers and the square stem of the mint family. However, ground ivy is perennial with creeping stems that root at the nodes, and when you handle it you can’t miss the mint-like odor. It will form dense mats which can take over areas of your lawn.
I am all for pulling weeds rather than spraying chemicals, if at all possible. In most garden areas this will be enough to get things under control. And maybe leave the henbit and purple deadnettle while it’s in flower, to give sustenance to the bees, then pull it before it sets seed.
And, of course, you might just go for tastier salads.