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deadnettle
deadnettle botanical plate
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deadnettle

Lamium purpureum

Honeybees seek out purple deadnettle for its early-season nectar and abundant red pollen when few other flowers are blooming. Peak bloom occurs in April and May, providing critical support for emerging colonies. Though often viewed as a weed and potentially invasive in lawns and disturbed sites, it requires no special management for beekeepers and can be encouraged in pollinator habitats.

Nectarmedium
Pollenhigh
BloomMarch–May
USDA zones4-9
TypePerennial
Sunpartial
NativeEurasia — naturalized in North America
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