Lamium purpureum (Purple dead-nettle)

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Lamium purpureum L.

Purple dead-nettle, red dead-nettle

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Lamiaceae	Mint family
Genus	Lamium	Ancient Latin name for the mint family
Species	purpureum	Purple

About plant names...

Red dead nettle is common but inconspicuous, appearing in fields and weedy places, popping up in gardens. The name “dead nettle” came about because the leaves resemble those of the nettle family, with stinging hairs, but this species is harmless.

Identification: Plants are 4-16" (10-40 cm) high, and somewhat hairy. Stems are 4-angled and glabrous. Leaves are toothed, round or kidney-shaped, deeply and irregularly veined, and ¼-1¼" (6.3-31 mm). Each stem node has two opposite leaves, and each succeeded pair is rotated 90° from the last. Upper, younger leaves often have a red-violet tinge. Flowers are ¼-¾" (6.3-19 mm), appearing from Mar to Oct. They are pink to red to purple in color.

Edibility: Young leaves may be eaten raw or cooked.

3/13/2012 · New Jersey
≈ 4 × 3½" (10 × 9.2 cm)

3/18/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd., Phoenix, Maryland
≈ 4 × 4½" (10 × 12 cm)

Some similar species:

	*Ajuga reptans*	*Glechoma hederacea*	You are here Lamium purpureum
Common Name	bugle	ground-ivy	purple dead-nettle
Plant	Forms loose mats. Plants are 6-9" (15-22 cm) in height.	Often only 3" (7.6 cm) tall, it sometimes reaches 12" (30 cm). Extends horizontally, hence the term “ivy.”	4-16" (10-40 cm) high, and somewhat hairy.
Flowers	Blue, appearing from May to Jun.	Flowers are blue, purple, or lavender, occurring in groups of 3. The flower shape is unusual. A small upper petal is divided into two lobes. A larger lower petal has a lobe on either side, and a large bottom lobe that is divided into two more lobes. Each flower is ⅜-½" (9.5-12 mm) across.	Flowers are ¼-¾" (6.3-19 mm), appearing from Mar to Oct. They are pink to red to purple in color.
Leaves	Dark green with purple highlights, opposite, and simple, sometimes toothed.	Round or kidney-shaped, with scalloped edges, ⅜-1¼" (9.5-31 mm) in diameter.	Toothed, round or kidney-shaped, deeply and irregularly veined, and ¼-1¼" (6.3-31 mm). Each stem node has two opposite leaves, and each succeeded pair is rotated 90° from the last. Upper, younger leaves often have a red-violet tinge.
Stem		Square in cross-section.	Stems are 4-angled and glabrous.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 3-10
Habitats	Damp grassy fields, damp woods.	Moist ground, woods, slopes, roadsides, waste places, lawns	Fields, weedy places, gardens.
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Common	Common	Common

	*Prunella vulgaris*
Common Name	common selfheal
Plant	1¾-16" (5-40 cm) high, usually toward the small end of this. It is often found in lawns.
Flowers	On spikes at the top. They look uneven and disheveled because they don't bloom all at once. Each flower is about ⅜" (1 cm) around, purple on top and white below, and bilaterally symmetrical.
Leaves	Up to 2" (6 cm) × ¾" (2 cm), oval or sometimes lance-shaped, on fairly long petioles (leaf stems).
Stem	Approximately square in cross section, green or reddish, and lightly to densely hairy.
Range/ Zones
Habitats	Fields, roadsides, weedy area, open woods
Type	Wild
Occurrence	Common

Online References:

The New England Wildflower Society’s GoBotany site

Illinois Wildflowers

Wikimedia Commons (Photos)

Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

References:

Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 120

3/13/2012 · New Jersey
≈ 17 × 12" (44 × 29 cm)

3/20/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd, Phoenix, Maryland
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire

5/18/2017 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Wildflower Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 4½ × 6" (12 × 14 cm)

Lamium purpureum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

3/20/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd, Phoenix, Maryland
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 14 cm)

3/18/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd., Phoenix, Maryland
≈ 3½ × 4" (9.8 × 10 cm)

3/18/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd., Phoenix, Maryland
≈ 4 × 5" (10 × 13 cm)

5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook C, Hollis, New Hampshire

5/18/2017 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Wildflower Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 4½ × 7" (12 × 16 cm)

Range:

About this map...