Flower or weed? It’s Henbit – actually a weed!

Henbit is a very common annual broadleaf weed seen here in Oklahoma. Its most notable feature are the pink/purple flowers that begin appearing in the March-May timeframe. Henbit can be identified in its younger stages by its mint-like appearance. This is because it is in the same botanical family as the mint plant- although it doesn’t have the same minty flavor, so I wouldn’t go using it as a garnish quite yet! 

Another notable feature of mature henbit is the square stems the leaves are attached to. Henbit can quickly cover your turf grass which causes a competition for nutrition and water, as well as being an aesthetic nightmare in a would-be uniform lawn. The initial control of henbit starts with an application of preemergence herbicide, helping prevent germination in the first place. Once it has germinated, postemergence herbicide will be needed to get it under control. 

Due to the way most broadleaf weed herbicides work to control the plant, you may see a flush of growth in the henbit soon after an application. No, we didn’t fertilize the weeds, that just means that the product is doing its job! The postemergence herbicide is causing the plant cells to divide and grow without stopping, which is basically making it outgrow its own “food” producing capability. While preventing henbit from germinating is ideal, you can start getting it under control at any time, no need to wait for the next preemergence window!