Integrated Pest Management
Henbit
Lamium amplexicaule
Description
- plant grows 4 – 12 inches tall and is covered sparsely in fine hairs
- stems are square, typically purplish and branch at the base; leaves are round or heart shaped, arranged in pairs and have rounded teeth margins
- prominent veins are recessed in leaf blades
- flowers are small, dark pink and circle upper leaf axils
- if studied carefully, flowers resemble tiny orchid blooms with a white face and dark red spots
Location
- commonly grows in planting beds and lawn areas
Life Cycle
- a winter annual with seeds that germinate in the fall although a lesser portion of seeds may also germinate in early spring
- seedlings appear in early spring and flowers are produced by mid-spring to early summer (although some plants may flower in the fall)
- foliage dies in hot summer temperatures
IPM Recommendations
- Hand-pull plants in planting beds prior to seed maturation.
- Shallow tillage or hoeing will control young plants in planting beds.
- Apply a mulch layer 3 inches deep on planting beds to reduce seed germination.
- Apply an appropriate pre-emergent herbicide prior to seed germination or apply an appropriate post-emergent herbicide directly to target weeds.