What are all those purple field flowers?

I've had many people ask me what the purple flowers are in fields throughout Central Illinois, and beyond. The large patches of lavender colored flowers are beautiful in a bright sunny day.

Field of henbit in spring

HENBIT

They are henbit (Lamium amplexicaula). Henbit is a winter annual in the mint family. Winter annuals germinate in the fall and overwinter as very small seedlings. After milder winters, most of the little plants survive and begin to grow as temperatures warm in early spring. They flower prolifically and begin dropping hundreds of seed. Since these plants prefer cold temperatures, winter annual plants start to die out in the heat of summer. 

Closeup of henbit flowers and leaves in early spring.

Relatives

You might see a couple close relatives blooming with similar flowers. Deadnettle has triangular leaves and is also a winter annual plant. Creeping Charlie is a relative, but it is a perennial plant that continues growing from year to year, expanding its growing area with aggressive above ground stems called stolons. 

Deadnettle in bloom

For more information on purple spring flowers, read Michelle Wiesbrook's article Fields and Lawns of Purple. 

Happy Spring!