ID, Please 😃: Have seen this growing all over, including filling up a couple of farm fields around my place. It's beautiful, but have no idea what it is. I know ajuga (?), but these...

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Have seen this growing all over, including filling up a couple of farm fields around my place. It's beautiful, but have no idea what it is. I know ajuga (?), but these are definitely not blue.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Lamium purpureum; dead-nettle.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Ysarex wrote:

Lamium purpureum; dead-nettle.

Is it invasive, a weed? Or do farmers plant it for forage purposes as they do clover, alfalfa, etc.?

Thanks for the ID. The fields in Indiana are gorgeous with it

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

joecichjr wrote:

Is it invasive, a weed? Or do farmers plant it for forage purposes as they do clover, alfalfa, etc.?

Thanks for the ID. The fields in Indiana are gorgeous with it

It's Eurasian in origin but not considered invasive. It's a Spring ephemeral and an important early bee-support plant. My yard and garden are likewise covered with it right now and I will not mow until the flowers are gone. I have neighbors who keep bees and I make a point of letting the dead-nettle and henbit grow.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

joecichjr wrote:

Is it invasive, a weed? Or do farmers plant it for forage purposes as they do clover, alfalfa, etc.?

Thanks for the ID. The fields in Indiana are gorgeous with it

Invasive weeds--hate that stuff! They were never around here until about ten years ago. Apparently they blew in from the west during storms. Farmers detest them; to us, they aren't pretty at all.

But I can see how others might see them as pretty.

maxlieberman Loc: 19027

Google lens guesses Azolla.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Ysarex wrote:

It's Eurasian in origin but not considered invasive. It's a Spring ephemeral and an important early bee-support plant. My yard and garden are likewise covered with it right now and I will not mow until the flowers are gone. I have neighbors who keep bees and I make a point of letting the dead-nettle and henbit grow.

Thanks for the info and for your kindness to the creatures out there

You should read the post from the guy directly below yours

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

jaymatt wrote:

Invasive weeds--hate that stuff! They were never around here until about ten years ago. Apparently they blew in from the west during storms. Farmers detest them; to us, they aren't pretty at all.

But I can see how others might see them as pretty.

Last year, not too many; this year, tons

Too bad we can't convert them into hooch

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

maxlieberman wrote:

Google lens guesses Azolla.

Yesterday, someone said Lamium Purpurea 💜💜💜💜💜 Thank you, sir

AviRoad Loc: Westchester County, NY

IMHO Lamium Purpurea blooms are far more beautiful than that and I see no signs of the obvious leaves of Lamium Purpurea in that photo.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

AviRoad wrote:

IMHO Lamium Purpurea blooms are far more beautiful than that and I see no signs of the obvious leaves of Lamium Purpurea in that photo.

Thank you