Henbit

This is a spring plant closely related to one we covered last spring!

It’s a common medicinal herb that just about anyone can find and use.

This one is the second species of the Lamium genus that we’re covering here, and this is a great group to familiarize yourself with.

The first one we covered was Purple Deadnettle which you can read about in my archive!

Plant Profile:

Scientific Name: Lamium amplexicaule

Preferred Habitat: Weedy areas, waste sites, pavement cracks, urban areas, yards, and recently disturbed soils.

Edible Parts: Stems, leaves, flowers, roots and seeds (All parts!)

Distribution: All over the East half of the United States, and along the West coast, sprinkled throughout the west.

Harvest Season: Spring

Key Identifiers: Tubular pink or purple flowers, leaves that circle the stem in a fan shape, a general dead-nettle structure, hairy leaves. The leaves and stem start to become purple-tinted as the plant matures.

Toxic Look-Alikes: None that I know of, the only Lamium species you’re likely to confuse with it are also edible (such as Purple Deadnettle).

The only other plant that it can resemble, is ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) but that’s another edible plant so there’s no danger there.

Nutrition/Medicinal Properties:

The exact nutrient content isn’t something I can find, but I’d guess it’s at least similar to purple deadnettle.

Here are the medicinal qualities:

• Mild laxative

• Digestive aid

• Induces sweats

• Reduces fevers

• Treats achy joints

• Mild stimulant which aids with stress and anxiety

• Good source of fiber

• Tea treats diarrhea

• Eases chronic pains

• Eases menstrual cramps and bleeding

• Anti-inflammatory compounds

• Anti-rheumatic qualities

Uses

This plant is another highly underrated medicinal herb! Pretty crazy qualities, right?

On top of the basic potherb uses like salads and use as a cooking green, henbit can be taken as an herbal tea which is where you get most of the medicinal benefits.

The flavor is slightly sweet with a peppery undertone which can add a nice depth to whatever dish you add it to.

As usual you can make it into a tincture or into salves as well as blended greens sauces or dressings.

Growth Habits

There’s not much to know about growing this plant since it pretty much grows on its own.

Judging purely from where I tend to find it, you may have difficulty growing the plant intentionally in places with soil that’s too nutrient dense or is particularly high in organic matter.

Typically, you’ll find it in bare, dry, and recently disturbed soils sometimes growing up through concrete joints and gravel. This means the best places to find it won’t be in forests or dense meadows but urban sites, industrial areas, near railroad tracks, and in suburban yards.

The plant is attached by a somewhat weak root system comprised of a taproot with a few smaller auxiliary roots.

There are Lamium species that will grow well in more forested areas, this one may not do that well in that setting. I believe this is a great herb for those of you with very poor soil where not much else will grow!

Additional Information

The meaning of the name “henbit” is debated, but it could either refer to how the leaves look like they’ve been bitten by chickens (hence “hen” and “bit”), or it could refer to the fact that chickens have been known to like eating the plant.

The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa but is considered naturalized in the Americas and Oceania.

In milder climates than here, henbit will sometimes start growing in the winter and then push out the new top growth in the spring.

In my region (the Midwest of the US) henbit tends to be good to harvest in late-April through May. You can harvest it later in the spring, it’s just the most tender for fresh eating and cooking when younger. Be quick about it though! Henbit usually goes dormant for the summer once it gets too hot!

The leaves are the dead give-away of what you have so get familiar with the shapes! (Use my photos as reference!)

Cultivars

There are no known cultivars that I could find, which to me says there’s potential for breeding here!

This would be another fun project for someone looking to get into the world of plant breeding and Home-Scale Agrobiology.

You could go a few different directions with it, but selecting for larger leaves would be the obvious first choice. I’d consider selecting for season extension (which might require heat tolerance as a trait) and larger flowers could be a fun thing to select for as well.

I’ll be announcing this season’s foraging walks soon so stay tuned!

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