Caring for your lawn can be hard, and weeds like henbit can make it even harder. Henbit is a common annual weed found in most areas of the U.S. and thrives in Maryland and Northern Virginia. It can be difficult to control once it starts growing on your lawn.
Our soil scientists want to ensure this pesky weed doesn’t cause stress and frustration. This blog will provide the information you need to gain confidence in caring for your lawn and keeping it safe from henbit.
What is Henbit?
Henbit is a highly invasive annual weed that germinates in the springtime. In fact, one weed’s flower can produce up to 2,000 seeds!
Interesting fact: Although henbit doesn’t smell like mint, it is a member of the mint family and is safe to eat and touch.
What does Henbit look like?
Henbit is slightly “hairy” and has greenish to purplish colored stems that are square-shaped. Their leaves are heart-shaped with rounded ends. It can grow 8 – 14 in tall.
Fun fact: This weed received its name because free-ranging hens like to eat it.
Hen bit…get it?
What is the life cycle of Henbit?
The life cycle of henbit consists of germinating in spring and summer, then blooming during fall and winter.
What will happen if henbit is left untreated?
A small cluster of henbit can grow quickly to cover large patches of turf and suffocate your grass.
How to control Henbit?
The best way to control and prevent henbit is to treat it with a pre-emergent before the weed begins to flower and produce seeds.
If you find small patches of henbit lawn, you can pull the weed out with your hand.
This weed thrives in various conditions but seems to flourish in areas of the lawn that are thin, overly moist, or shady. Therefore, maintaining a thick, healthy lawn with no thin, weak areas can prevent henbit from taking over. This can be done with seasonal aeration, mowing at the proper height, and having a fertilization program that provides the nutrients necessary to keep your grass healthy.
Henbit vs Purple Deadnettle
Purple deadnettle and henbit have a lot of similarities, for instance, they are both winter annual weeds that germinate in the fall or winter. They also enjoy the same conditions, cool, spring weather, rain, bare turfgrass, and shady spots. In fact, the two weeds are often found growing together.
Here are some characteristics to tell the difference between henbit vs purple deadnettle:
Henbit
- Produces purple tubular flowers at the end of its stems in small spirals
- The flowers are pink to purple with darker purple spots
- The leaves are scalloped and rounded
- The lower leaves have stalks, but their upper leaves do not
Purple Deadnettle
- Produces light purple flowers
- The flowers are wider than henbit’s
- The leaves are triangular with spiral and the leaves tend to have purple coloring, especially closer to the top of the plant
- The leaves overlap each other and are also a little hairier than henbit leaves
In the unfortunate event that you cannot control the spread of henbit on your own, we are here to help! Our soil scientists are trained to properly use pre and post-emergent products to prevent new seeds from germinating and eradicate the already established weed. Contact us for a complimentary consultation.
Get Rid of Henbit
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