| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | Throughout the state; probably in every county. First collected in 1884 in Kittrell, Vance County.
Native of Eurasia and north Africa; in N.A. throughout. | |
| Abundance | Common to abundant in the Piedmont and most of the Coastal Plain; frequent to common in the Mountains. Individual populations can hold thousands of plants and tinge whole fields bright rosy-magenta in early spring. | |
| Habitat | Dry to mesic, sometimes moist soils of fields, fallow cropfields, pastures, roadsides, campus weed, lawn weed, other disturbed situations. Generally in sunny disturbed places, and thus does not generally displace rare or sensitive native herbs. |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting January-December, especially in late winter and spring. | |
| Identification | Henbit is one of those plants that makes an impact, even if the observer does not know what kind of plant it is, as it is so abundant and relatively odd-looking. Narrowly tubular pink to red-purple flowers occur in groups of 3-many, both terminally and in axils of leaflike bracts, which are well-spaced. Below them are well-spaced, long-stalked leaves that are the same shape (rotund, crenate) as the bracts. The lower part of the stem may be prostrate. Purple Dead-nettle (L. purpureum) has a very different gestalt, with ovate, pointed flower bracts that are deflexed and overlap. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | Common Henbit, Greater Henbit; often just called Henbit. | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | | |
| USACE-emp | | |
