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Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum) Lamiaceae or Mint Family |
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Low, sprawling plant, often forming mounds. The purple green, triangular leaves are coarsely toothed. The uppermost leaves are crowded and nearly stalkless. Tiny, pale purple flowers peek out between the leaves. Blooms from early spring into summer, and can even be found blooming in winter in sheltered spots. Occasional in disturbed areas of the park, such as along the Bikeway, along trails and near bridges. It is a native of Eurasia and a weed over much of the eastern U.S. The tiny purple flowers peeking from the clusters of purplish leaves is distinctive. Two other weeds are somewhat similar and live in similarly disturbed areas: henbit and ground ivy. Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is more spreading, and has larger, bluer flowers and heart-shaped leaves. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a taller, erect plant that does not have the crowded leaves of purple dead nettle.
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