There are some plants when have to ask, Are you a weed or wondrous?
Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule, is considered a weed by many, but not by me! And before you think I just let weeds grow in my garden, or even the Joslin Garden, think again!
Although they are considered weeds, you may be interested to learn henbit is a food source by pollinators in early spring. The flowers of henbit provide a pollen and nectar source for long-tongued bees, such as honey bees and bumblebees in March and April.
If given a choice, my girls will choose chickweed over henbit, but once the chickweed source is up, my chickens will then devour the henbit!
Did you know henbit is edible to humans as well?
Hummingbirds enjoy the nectar of this wild edible, as well as being an important early-season nectar and pollen sources for honeybees.
While henbit has a shallow taproot, it easy to get up with a soil knife.
The low growing, upright to sprawling plants has a number of weak stems arising from the base that may be erect or almost lay on the ground. The stems are square and green but often become purple with age and may root at the lower nodes. This edible weed reproduces solely by seed, and each henbit plant can produce 2,000 or more seeds. It also spreads by producing roots on lower stems that touch the ground.
There are some plants when have to ask, Are you a weed or wondrous?
Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule, is considered a weed by many, but not by me! And before you think I just let weeds grow in my garden, or even the Joslin Garden, think again!
Although they are considered weeds, you may be interested to learn henbit is a food source by pollinators in early spring. The flowers of henbit provide a pollen and nectar source for long-tongued bees, such as honey bees and bumblebees in March and April. If still in bloom when the hummingbirds migrate back
Wondering if hen in the name could mean chickens eat it? They sure do, however, if given a choice, my girls will choose chickweed over henbit, but once the chickweed source is up, my chickens will then devour the henbit!
Did you know henbit is edible to humans as well? Henbit can be consumed fresh or cooked as an edible herb, and it can be used in teas.
The stem, flowers, and leaves are edible. It is very nutritious, high in iron, vitamins, and fiber. You can add it raw to salads, soups, wraps, or green smoothies.
While henbit has a shallow taproot, it easy to get up with a soil knife.
Habitat
Henbit grows by roadsides, in cropland, pastures, in waste areas, in gardens, and on lawns. It prefers light, dry soil, and cultivated soil, and it originated in Eurasia and Northern Africa. It also grows in Australia, South America, western Asia, Greenland, and throughout Canada and the United States.