Short Description
The henbit deadnettle can grow up to 30 cm high.
The roundish to kidney-shaped leaves grow opposite each other. They enclose the stem. The leaf margin is deep and coarsely notched.
The stem grows erect. It is strong and square.
The flowers sit in a stick-like circle above the leaves. They are light purple. The corolla consists of two lips. The upper lip is helmet-shaped. The lower lip is tripartite and dark spotted.
The fruits are small, single-seeded and warty nutlets. They always sit in fours in the calyx of the flower.
Features
Henbit deadnettle
Lamium amplexicaule
stem enclosing leaves
square stem
In the city
It prefers to grow on warm, nutrient-rich and rather lime-poor soils. It is often found in gardens, in fields and rubble areas, and along paths. It usually forms large, patchy stands of wild herbs.
Fun Facts
Especially in spring and autumn, many flowers remain closed as buds and do not open. They often pollinate themselves.
The flowering period is from April to August.
In frost-free weather it can bloom even in winter.
It is an annual plant. This means the plant dies in the first year after the maturation of the seeds.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
The original range includes all of Eurasia and northern Africa. It was also introduced to North and South America and New Zealand.
The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The flowers are also suitable as edible decoration.
Sources
Blütenstand, Kaldari, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lamium_amplexicaule_Kaldari_01.jpg
Habitus, Ariel Palmon, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lamium_amplexicaule_2.JPG
Blütenstand, Kristian Peters, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lamium_amplexicaule.jpeg
Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.
Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Page „Stängelumfassende Taubnessel“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 02.01.2018, 17:02 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=St%C3%A4ngelumfassende_Taubnessel&oldid=172512619 (Accessed: 07.08.2018).