Just ten days after our three-day freeze, I was walking along the Play for All Abilities Park in Round Rock when my eyes caught the beautiful sight of Henbit Deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule) flowers. These tiny wonders did not seem affected by the three days below freezing we had.
I had to get down on the ground to make sure I could appreciate these low-growing annual plants.
Because they were just beginning to bloom, they had not reached their average height of 4-10 inches (10–25 cm).
In these photos, you can see a distinctive characteristic of the flower. Look at the leaves. They appear to be clasping the stem. That is what amplexicaule means. The leaves encircle the stem.
The flowers are pink to purple and measure around 1/2-3/4 inches (1.5–2 cm). So much beauty in such a small size!
Henbit Deadnettle flowers are native to most of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. They were introduced to the Americas by anthropogenic means.
As you look at the shape of the flowers, it is easy to see that pollinators love them. However, if there are not enough pollinators around, the plant self-pollinates.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center says these beauties are invasive weeds in Texas.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring FlowerHour, Henbit Deadnettle, Macros, Parks, Play for All Abilities Park, Round Rock, Texas, and Wildflowers. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
For Terri’s Flower Hour #17: An Edited Journey of a #Crocus.
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Lindy Le Coq
Lovely plant, and thanks for the information! Sometimes I wonder how plants get their common names, like Henbit Deadnettle!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Praticamente sotto la neve…😃
Egidio Leitao
Molto forte. Grazie.
margaret21
I had to look up ‘They were introduced to the Americas by anthropomorphic means.’, and I’m still not quite sure I understand what went on. Don’t worry – I’ll get there eventually! It looks far too interesting to be a mere ‘invasive weed’.
Egidio Leitao
Oops, I made a typo. I’ve corrected it now: anthropogenic means. It’s only invasive in this part of the country. Thanks for your feedback.
margaret21
Oh, that makes sense! I couldn’t make anthropomorphic fit the circumstances. Thank you.
Egidio Leitao
Again, thanks for commenting and raising the issue. That helped me see my error.
shoreacres
We have a native hedgenettle that’s just as pretty: Drummond’s hedgenettle (Stachys drummondii). It’s a Texas endemic and quite limited in its range, though. I see this plant far more often, and you’ve captured its color and shape beautifully.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the info, Linda. I looked this native hedgenettle. It’s really so beautiful. The leaves look very different, don’t you think? iNaturalist shows their location as in the Hill Country and along the coast. Thanks for the compliment on the photos.
shoreacres
Far be it from me to question iNaturalist, but when it comes to the location of Stachys drummondii, I’ll quibble a little. Both the USDA and BONAP maps show it in only a few coastal counties. The one exception is McLennan county, which shows up on the USDA map, and which might account for the hill country reference.
I kept seeing unexpected flowers listed for McLennan, and finally tried to figure out the mystery. I think the answer is the creation of the Lake Waco Wetlands. They were created around 2001, after the raising of Lake Waco. My hunch is that people in charge of the project planted wetland-appropriate plants there. Because McLennan doesn’t show up on the BONAP map, it may be that it wasn’t a successful introduction
I’m intrigued by the place, and am hoping to get up there this spring. I’d love to see the project, since it’s been developed with trails, boardwalks, and so on.
Egidio Leitao
Linda, we need to keep in mind that the iNaturalist maps are only based on what users submit. So, that explains the discrepancy among the iNat maps and USDA and BONAP maps. On the other hand, a few instances in some Hill Country locations appear to have been documented based on the photos in iNat. It could be cultivated plants. I looked up on entry on iNat in the Austin area, and the photos looked like the plant was in a container. iNat also shows several entries in South Texas, near the border with Mexico.
shoreacres
That’s a good point, and also one reason I tend to stick with the USDA and BONAP; I’m primarily concerned with native plants. Where a plant appears, and where it’s native, can be two quite different things. For example, we’re awash with tropical hibiscus species here, but they certainly aren’t native — a fact that plenty of gardeners learn when their first hibiscus succumb to the cold!
bushboy
Fabulous macros Egidio
Egidio Leitao
Thanks a bunch, Brian.
restlessjo
The detail is amazing, Egidio xx
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Anita. I love this Sony macro lens.
Anne Sandler
How can invasive weeds look so beautiful???
Egidio Leitao
That’s a great question. I did not know they were considered invasive here in Texas.
Wandering Dawgs
Wow! These are beautiful!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Dawn.
Terri Webster Schrandt
What an amazing, delicate flower, Egidio! Exquisite photography!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Terri.