Weed group: Winter Annual
Characteristics: A member of the mint family that does well in fertile moist soil. The seeds germinate in the fall. Successfully overwintering, henbit will begin to produce tubular purple flowers in the spring. If you look closing at the stems you will see that the hairs are pointed downward. The plants finally die as temperatures rise, leaving it’s seeds to germinate again in fall.
Control:
- Cultural:
- Natural: Dig or hand pull. Though easy to hand pull be sure to get all the root.
- Chemical: Winter annuals complete their life cycle in the fall. The best time to treat Henbit with a pre-emergent is in the fall before the weather turns cool and the seeds germinate. If you need to treat in the spring with a post-emergent, do so while the plant is actively growing. The best weed control is a healthy managed lawn.