What's the Solution?

A. Henbit

You are correct! The weed shown is henbit, which is most often recognized for its rounded, opposite leaves and mintlike pink to purple flowers that appear mostly in spring and early summer. Henbit, a species of the Lamiaceae or Mint family, prefers nutrient-rich soil and thrives in newly-seeded and thin turf.

Found throughout the United States, henbit is most common in Eastern states. Primarily a weed of turfgrass, landscapes and small grains, henbit can grow up to 16 inches in height. The leaves are circular to heart-shaped with hairs on the upper leaf surfaces and along the veins of the lower surface. This weed is commonly mistaken for purple deadnettle. However, purple deadnettle has upper leaves that are triangular, and are distinctly red- or purple-tinted, unlike the upper leaves of henbit, which are typically green.

To control henbit by using a preemergence application, we recommend one of the following treatments on labeled sites:

• Dimension® 2EW specialty herbicide at 1 to 2 pints per acre (2.2 to 4.4 teaspoons per 1,000 square feet)
• Gallery® specialty herbicide at 0.66 pounds per acre (0.25 ounces per 1,000 square feet)
• Snapshot® specialty herbicide at 100 pounds per acre (2.3 pounds per 1,000 square feet) for ornamentals only