Deadnettle and Henbit: two edible, medicinal herbal weeds of early spring

Left: purple deadnettle, right: henbit

Deadnettle identification difficulty: Novice
Henbit identification difficulty: Beginner

These two weedy wildflowers of early spring are very similar. They both have dark green leaves, bright pink/purple flowers with long necks, and grow low go the ground, no higher than 6" or so. Both somewhat resemble nettles, but neither have a sting. They frequently grow together, and are often confused for one another, so I thought I'd do a combo post about them.

Caution: deadnettle should not be taken while pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

This is purple deadnettle, Lamium purpureum. It's also known as red deadnettle and purple archangel, and it has a closely related variety, called spotted deadnettle, Lamium maculatum, whose leaves have white spots or patches.

This is henbit, Lamium amplexicaule, sometimes called henbit deadnettle. I've also found it in a white-flowered variety, which I'm having a hard time getting info about, so I can't tell you the Latin name, but I've tried it, and it seems to be perfectly edible as well. Nearly all mints are edible, so it's a fairly safe family to try in small amounts, before you move on to whole meals

white henbit

Both are wild herbs in the mint family, but don't taste like mints. Lots of our herbs are actually mints, including basil, sage and oregano. Like many other herbs, deadnettle and have medicinal properties, and can be used as a food and flavoring. Because deadnettle and henbit are closer to the wild, many feel that their medical qualities are stronger.

Identification 

Left: deadnettle leaves grow in opposite pairs, like a compass rose
Right top: flower shape is important to avoid poisonous similar looking plants. Also note hairs on leaves
Right bottom: squarish stems covered in fine hairs. 

Deadnettle has squarish stems and leaves that form in opposite pairs, and those pairs grow perpendicular to each other. So every 4 leaves form a compass rose. Deadnettle leaves are covered in fine hairs. 

Beginners should wait till deadnettle flowers before harvesting. Once the plants are flowering, there are no poisonous, similar looking plants in that small size. (Large plants, 8+ inches tall, with similar flowers can be dangerous). At maturity, the top leaves of deadnettle turn purple or purply green, and at this stage they have no poisonous look a like plants at all. Before flowering, deadnettle can be mistaken for many other plants. 

WARNING! This is a young foxglove plant, similar in appearance to pre-flowering deadnettle.
Notice the similar leaf texture and leaf hairs. Foxglove is poisonous. 

 Young foxglove image courtesy of Woodland Ways Bushcraft & Survival, part of their "Plants as self-defense" blog post. Click to check them out! 

Henbit, whole plant

Henbit is also easier to identify after it flowers. However, if you look at henbit's small size, coupled with its scalloped round leaf that attaches directly to the square stem, and has those "tufts" above  the leaf attachment, then you can safely harvest henbit any time of year. Though there are plants that share these features, none of them are poisonous.

Note henbit's square stems, and the leaves which atatch directly to the stem, with no leaf stem.
The leaves also have"tufts" above them.

Henbit and deadnettle flowers are very similar, but the leaves are quite different. Henbit had half-circle or fan-shaped leaves, with scalloped edges. On most of the plant, these leaves attach directly to the stem. Deadnettle has heart-shaped/spade-shaped leaves, and they attach to the main stem with a leaf stem called a "petiole". 

Veronica persica, commonly known as speedwell, has leaves that are similar in shape to henbit's,  but the flower is very different. Speedwell's leaves also attach with a leaf stem, called a "petiole". Speedwell is also edible, so you don't need to fear confusion. (It tastes different though)

This pretty little patch has both henbit and deadnettle

Eating henbit and deadnettle 

I use henbit and deadnettle interchangeably. They can be eaten raw or cooked, yet both have fine hairs on the stem (and on the leaves of deadnettle) which makes me prefer then cooked. Many people also add them to smoothies.

In terms of flavor, I think both have a richly green flavor, similar to fully grown spinach or baby kale. They have a slight herbal flavor too, a bit like mild oregano mixed with mild sage. I generally find I can use them anywhere I would use kale. 

I generally harvest deadnettle over henbit, simply because deadnettle is leafier, and gets you more food for the effort.

Medicinal qualities of henbit and deadnettle

Deadnettle, again, notice the long stems to the leaves

Henbit is excellent at digestive support, and can be used this way raw, cooked or brewed into a tea; it's also known to boost energy. Henbit contains compounds which can induce a fever, especially when brewed as a concentrated tea, so it's also good as a fever reducer, mild diuretic, and bloat-buster.

Deadnettle also offers strong digestive support, especially when used as a laxative tea. Like henbit, deadnettle also boosts energy. Deadnettle is recommended for women's menstrual issues, including pain, heavy flow, and discharge between cycles. For these reasons, deadnettle should not be taken while pregnant.

Nutrition and general info

Both henbit and deadnettle are extremely important to pollinators, especially bees, who have been dormant all winter. Because they flower so early (here in the south, they sometimes flower year-round), they provide early season nectar to jump-start the honey-making season. This makes it very important that you don't over harvest.

Henbit got it's name by being very popular with chickens, who will preferentially seek it out, if allowed to free range. It's very nutritious for them, and for us! Both henbit and deadnettle contain large amounts of iron, and vitamins A and C, they are also rich in fiber, and fair amounts of vitamin K.