What's that strange purple flower growing in your yard?
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Timestamps:
00:00 - What are these common purple flowers?
00:35 - Understanding their names
01:55 - Shared identification characteristics
02:54 - Distinguishing identification characteristics
03:54 - A lookalike you should know
04:31 - Why I don't eat these wildflowers
05:10 - How I make these wildflowers into tea
06:26 - Another common yard plant
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#foraging #deadnettle #henbit
Пікірлер: 227
Don’t forget to check out my brand new interactive foraging calendar and JB’s deadnettle newsletter! (Both in the description) What yard plant would you like to see me cover next? Video mentioned at the end - kzread.info/dash/bejne/gouCuLOdZrfNqLA.html
@mommashiner
4 ай бұрын
Would you please cover Plantain? I use it already and would love to expand my knowledge. Also, I grow Comfrey but would love to learn to identify her in the wild and are the properties the same?
@anyascelticcreations
4 ай бұрын
How about mulberries? That's been a favorite of mine for many years. But I would love to see a video about it even though I'm familiar. I'm sure I would learn something new which I would love to do. And I'm sure there are people out there who have never eaten them but would love to.
@grannypatches
4 ай бұрын
How about hostas? Lots of people have these in flower beds. I've heard the early shoots taste like asparagus when sautéed and are eaten in other countries. I would love to know if this is true.
@bradlafferty
4 ай бұрын
How about invasive White Honeysuckle? Any good uses for that?
@FeralForaging
4 ай бұрын
@@bradlafferty You can make a syrup with the flowers!
My grandmother always called henbit "Giraffe Necks" because she said the flowers looked like little lavender giraffes sticking their heads up through the branches of the trees. Almost 70 years later, it still makes me smile when I see them in my yard!
@MrsBaird-gf1rx
4 ай бұрын
Before I learned the right name, I called them "clown collars"😄
@CallMeGailyn
2 ай бұрын
I thought of them as chicks reaching up from the nest, hence Henbit. I guess when you live in the country, you come up with your own stuff.
I remember as a child moving into a house that had a huge backyard and it was covered With henbit And other flowering Weeds... We didn't know those were weeds. We picked the beautiful flowers And brought them to our mother Received them with With the love and graciousness that her heart was filled with.
First off, if for nothing else, purple dead nettle tea is my go to as a Sudafed replacement. When it's at its peak, I just gather all I can fit tightly in one hand, pour steaming hot water over it; not boiling, since I'm using it for medicine; and let it steep to body temperature. Strain, squeezing it tightly. Yes, it definitely is grassy tasting, but in 15 or 20 minutes my headache is gone. I do keep it dehydrated for use throughout the year and I'm glad you like it, but I sure don't. I do like it doesn't have any of Sudafed's side effects and I don't have to show my driver's license to buy it, like I'm a criminal. I mix purple dead nettle and henbit in my wild, cooked spring greens for eating, but don't add a lot because of the texture. I also ferment them and any other wild edibles like dill pickles; without the dill; puree, dehydrate on the lowest settings to preserve the live probiotics and prebiotics, powder and use it as an add at the table salt; the ferment wakes up on its way through the intestinal tract, imparting all kinds of benefits. Modern greens are poor cousins to wild greens.
@HJG-1019
3 ай бұрын
_"Ferment like pickles..."_ ?!?! Didn't know greens could be done this way! Any recipes, tips or hints? Thanks for the info!
@TheUnhousedWanderer
3 ай бұрын
I'd like to point out that steam is relative to air temperature. It will steam at lower temperature in a colder climate. I assume you mean when bubbles form, but not a rolling boil?
My grand daughter loves eating only the henbit flowers, which are a little sweet. She calls them “eat ‘em up flowers”. 😊
@cynthiacollins2668
4 ай бұрын
I must try that! I love finding flowers that taste good.
@jordancampbell637
3 ай бұрын
I used to do that as a kid too. I was thinking about it while he was saying there's no good use for them. of course, kids tend to have the patience to pluck off all the tiny flowers as a game as well as a treat, and that likely isn't something a forager would necessarily want to do, but I am delighted to hear other kids are still doing the same.
@cynthiacollins2668
3 ай бұрын
It doesn't take long to pick enough to make a lovely salad topper!
@acbeaumo
3 ай бұрын
Wait until she finds out about Nasturtiums!
@TruthAndLight4995
3 ай бұрын
@@acbeaumo a bit spicy 🙂
Henbit is one of my cattle herds fav early spring forage! We call it easter weed around here because it usually pops around easter.
HENBIT! One of the three mints I see everywhere along with deadnettle and ground ivy.
Omg my grandad taught me to pull the flower off and suck on the stem end lightly, but I have no idea what they are or other uses! Can't wait.
@joycleckley2881
4 ай бұрын
I sure do not know why my gra dparwnts didn't teach me these things as they were farmers. Mu yard if full of them.
@anyascelticcreations
4 ай бұрын
I did that with henbit too! I'm sure someone in my family taught me to. But unfortunately I don't remember who.
@macoppy6571
4 ай бұрын
@nivision Honeysuckle is a vine that produces white or yellow flowers that have delicious nectar one can literally suck out from the base of the flowers 😋
@johntheherbalistg8756
4 ай бұрын
Is there enough nectar to taste in those tiny things?
@anyascelticcreations
4 ай бұрын
@@johntheherbalistg8756 Not really. 😅 But I always pretended that a really hungry bee must have gotten to the flower first. Lol
My chickens absolutely LOVED this stuff! As others have pointed out, it saved me a lot on feed costs. Plus, they've got all sorts of bonus nutrition (small insects) and entertainment when you grab a handful or three and toss it into the run, along with clover and bits of plantain and dandelion.
@2degucitas
4 ай бұрын
Ah the sound of hens running and chattering happily😊
thanks for including the nerdiness! The switch to only using the latin names was one of the most important decisions I've made. ...possibly in life, definitely as it relates to all things planty.
@magdalenaskalska1803
4 ай бұрын
Latin names aren't for nerds only, they're also a great help for foreigners who don't know common names 😀
@thekingsdaughter4233
3 ай бұрын
@@magdalenaskalska1803 plus, common names may vary from region to region; and very "popular" medicinal herbs may well have a dozen common names or so! Pigweed, to some, may be an edible plant (amaranth/amaranthus reflexus for instance) -- to others, "pigweed" may be used for a plant that is actually poisonous!! 😳 (forgot which poisonous plant is called thus) So, always good to know both, to make sure everyone is on the same page. 😉😊👍
As a kid I always imagined that they were tiny Pine Trees when imagining miniature worlds in the woods!
@mldrafts560
4 ай бұрын
I see it!! Oh the tiny worlds I've busted!
@mldrafts560
4 ай бұрын
Visited.. lol
@cliffordbowman6777
4 ай бұрын
Kills my grass!
Its hen bit, u can eat it, we make cookies with them and there really good
@nivision
4 ай бұрын
Hi this comment has lived rent free in my AND my besties head since we saw this post upcoming, we need your cookie recipe!
@farialmab4723
4 ай бұрын
@@nivisionyes!!! (And a flavor profile! What on earth do these cookies taste like?)💕
@texashomegrowngirl9936
4 ай бұрын
Would you be willing to share your recipe?
@athannaelanderson3806
4 ай бұрын
Please share recipe 🙏
@KarmicAngel
4 ай бұрын
He said hen bit and it shows on the screen.
Thank for such detailed descriptions and giving us a close up good look at them. I tried to identify them years ago, but couldn't find anything, so thank you! 😂
Always wondered. The flowers look like bunny heads!
@linaleblanc8288
4 ай бұрын
I thought so too
We have purple dead nettle growing wild in our yard. I keep it around because i looked it up and learned its safe to eat. Plus i like the little flowers on them and so do the bees. Unfortunately i also have stinging nettle that lives up to its name that i intend to remove despite that people love it for its uses. I also have wild nodding onion which we're keeping. I cut up and dry yhe tops, and use them like green onions and for seasoning.
We feed both to our hens. They absolutely love them. It saves quite a bit on feed as well. Just grab a bunch for their daily feed.
I LOVE this plant as a ground cover. Stays green all year with beautiful purple color spring flower. I recommend it over mowing!
Purple deadnettle has another very important benefit. It can easily dominate your lawn, starts growing very early in the year, and will never get tall enough to be the reason you get fined. If you cut it with a reel mower, it looks like a salad shooter.
i was resetting my garden in prep for the growing season and recognized one of the "weeds" that took over during the winter/early spring: copious amounts of deadnettle!! i took it home as the first (unintentional) harvest of the season 😁 it is DELICIOUS in this homemade lamb, rice, and garden veg stew we made for dinner tonight. i think it pairs well with a tomatoey base and the fuzz is actually quite good at holding the broth so each bite is very juicy 😋
Last night I stumbled across your videos. You do an excellent presentation, good information without any rambling, and you have a charming manner. Count me as a new subscriber! 🙂
Just picked some! It’s so cold, it’s a wonder anything is growing at all!
I have purple dead nettle and the wild garlic in my shared apartment yard. (Along with lots of other cool stuff) The first year I lived here I sautéed both along with dandelion and clover. I thought it was delicious. Unfortunately, we have a lot of dogs in our building who have to "go" somewhere, including mine. I always feel so bad stepping all over this special springtime plant instead of eating it. But now that I know how many dogs are here I can't seem to justify eating it anymore. We have a bazillion spring beauties that came up this year, too. We have little baby blackberry plants, too. It just seems like such a waste not doing anything with all these delicious plants.
@CricketsBay
4 ай бұрын
They all do well in well-drained containers if you can get a 1/2 barrel or 10-gallon pot at the garden center. Even a 5-gallon bucket with holes drilled in the bottom works.
@EmeraldsFire
4 ай бұрын
Probably shouldn't eat them from yards anyway. No telling what herbicide they're thriving in the middle of
@anyascelticcreations
4 ай бұрын
@@CricketsBay Thank you for the suggestion. Until recently my apartment wasn't the kind of home where growing a communal garden was possible. And we don't have any personal space like a patio or balcony. But things are becoming safer and more welcoming now. So a few neighbors and I have talked about asking permission to grow a garden now. I was thinking of teaching some of the neighbors about some of the edibles that grow wild here anyway. Having a little part of the future garden with wild plants seems like a way I would like to join in. Thanks for the suggestion to grow them like this!
@anyascelticcreations
4 ай бұрын
@@EmeraldsFire I'm actually pretty sure that no upstream of me is applying pesticides or herbicides. Most people are too poor in my neighborhood for that. But you're right that in much of the US that is something to be careful of. Though, the part of my yard that has the most of these springtime goodies is flooded by our little creek every time we get a good rain. So it's probably fertalized by the runoff from the yards upstream of us. Fortunately, most of what's upstream is national forest. So, the runoff is probably fairly clean considering. Though, some of the fertilizer is probably from the dogs. 😅🤢 💩
Cute and smart ;) I've wondered about those plants for a while. I thought they reminded me of mint.
@indigobunting5041
4 ай бұрын
I also wondered what they were, couldn't find match in the plant book I have. I did notice a strong smell whenever I mowed the lawn where they were growing, so it doesn't surprise me that they're in the mint family.
Excellent closeup photos. Thank you- very educational
Thanks so much for your videos and shorts❤ They're so informative and I love that you "nerd out"😅 and explain the scientific name and such. I enjoy knowing the "why" of things as well😊
@FeralForaging
4 ай бұрын
Glad to hear that. Thanks so much!
I love my yard. I have these, purple nettle, clovers, and these whimsical violet grass with deep green fist sized heart shaped leaves that kinda make a cup as they unfurl and it’s roots grow as a rhizome. So beautiful.
Too bad you haven't found a way that you enjoy eating either one of the Lamiums, because they can be so abundant and in a time of year (fall through spring) when other edible greens can be more scarce. I prefer either one mixed with other greens, cooked or in salads, where they add to the depth of flavors rather than standing out on their own. Confusion about the two Lamiums comes from the time before the Internet, when regional common names were used. In my experience, many folks from the Midwest called both of them Henbits, and some of the older wild foods books (like Elias and Dykeman) called L. pupureum a Henbit as well. And it goes the other direction, too -- even now, iNaturalist calls L. amplexicaule the Henbit Deadnettle. So it's good to use the scientific names, for sure! Happy foraging!
One of these plants grew in my childhood backyard (I don't remember the exact leaf configuration to identify which one, but there were definitely purple trumpet shaped flowers). As kids, we would pick a single flower out, basically breaking the purple tube, and then touch the broken end to our tongue. It produces a drop of sweet nectar.
thanks for the vid. i saw dead nettle today and didnt know it until now
@FeralForaging
4 ай бұрын
Very welcome!
@EmeraldsFire
4 ай бұрын
All three of these grow everywhere in my neighborhood. Such a shame everyone else counts them as weeds to get rid of. Prefer these (and dandelions) to grass any day!
I have these two plants in the gardens also there another herb lemon balm with a white flowers good for depression help to sleep
I just finished drying a batch of Dead Nettle and making tea. Not so crazy about the taste though...tastes like spinach to me. Maybe its an acquired taste or maybe I made it too strong, but I will definately add the dried leaves to salads going forward! Maybe I can cut the mixture with green tea so its not so strong.
It's hilarious that I have seen a bunch of videos this year about purple dead nettle and henbit. I had dead nettle growing in my yard. This week I found a bunch of henbit, and it is so pretty. We've had good weather for wild violets as well, so that must be why I am seeing these so plentiful in my yard this year.
My parents called the deadnettles honeysuckles and I used to pull the flowers off and suck the tiny bit of nectar out the end as a kid. Recently realized that honeysuckles are a completely different plant so cool to learn the actual name of these. Totally gonna try to make tea now
Your videos have been Outstanding and I have Enjoyed them Very much, Thank you!
Love the up close look at the leaves,and the expkanations as well,short and to the point
My best friend and I ate these since we were 7 yrs old because of the sweet nectar inside. They are so pretty too!
Thank you! Yards flourish with these guys. Now I know who they are. Always worried about plants that may be toxic to my pets.
Just started foraging and henbit is the first one I was able to identify.
I watched a short on Purple dead nettle. I was like...Hey, I think I have that? Went out and sure enough I have it. It's April 3rd today. I'm waiting for it to flower and then I will harvest. Hoping to collect seed for future seeding😊 Thank you for this follow up video. Peace and Love Neighbors ❤️
I've got tons of if both in my yard. Along with a couple more that I want to eat😂 I tear it out of my garden beds and it grows right back... This year, I'm going to encourage growth of the landcover betwixt and between for moisture retention. 2024 - Fingers 🤞🏻 Crossed
I had no idea you were from around north alabama, I'm from around in-between birmingham and huntsville. This video has helped immensely as we're planning on using henbit as a supplemental food source for our chickens.
I have both in my yard and wondering exactly this question. Thanks, this is so helpful!
I just sat down to start prepping the purple deadnettle I gathered earlier. I popped on to youtube and this video was first in line. My phone is listening 😐 lol
Thanks for the tip about tea! I’ve been watching my Purple Deadnettle grow and now I know how to properly process it for good health (and good taste!). Thanks!
Both are good feed for the backyard birds, both are good for the bees - when the redbud blossoms stop being the primary source of nectar, and before the locust blooms open, the bees come down to the deadnettle, and hang there for a couple weeks. They re-seed themselves readily, and _ants_ will re-plant them for you .. I leave most of them alone when gardening, unless they happen to be right where I need to plant something else. They love growing in fertile soil with plenty of phosphorous, so if you have a *lot* of them, take that as a good indicator of fertility. Just like urtica dioica, they absorb excess fertility .. so if you pull them up, compost them to get those nutrients back! The root systems are _shallow,_ so if you have a lot of this plant, make sure that you are engaging in erosion control measures .. in an area that has only purple deadnettle for ground cover, the turf can be peeled like an orange. Plant trees - not only will the diversity help prevent soil loss, the shade will encourage more lamium purpureum, and less amplexicaule.
@RealBradMiller
4 ай бұрын
I also leave them unless I have something to plant there. They grow between the last step and the walkway, and give skinks places to hide and hunt.
My friend, my brother in the art of eating like a goat, *everything* in your yard *CAN* be eaten. The question is whether or not you should.
@alynn2655
4 ай бұрын
some delicacies can only be enjoyed once
Big plus adding the species explanation! Latin names can tell you a lot (when they're not named after some guy who found it).
@FeralForaging
4 ай бұрын
Haha very true!
Whoo hoo! Now I've also been able to ID Creeping Charlie, I feed Henbit to my rabbits and chickens but I haven't found Deadnettle yet!
Dead Nettle is like my favorite flower had no idea I could eat the green parts.
I learned so much from this video! I'm really glad you included the breakdown of the latin names too. I'll definitely try that tea. It's nice to know these are at least edible, even if maybe not the best/first choice when hungry.
So, I actually just had henbit in a stir fry/hash situation with carrots and asparagus, fried up in bacon, last night. It was actually pretty good! Though, as I was eating it, I was thinking, the little henbit flat 'buttons' might be really good breaded and fried up!
That “ground ivy”, also known as “ Gill Over the Ground” makes a “bracing tea” that will help with upper respiratory actions(clears congestion and staves off infection). Very, very useful for seasonal allergies and also “the crud” that we’ve all gone through.
I mixed stinging nettle and deadnettle together and sautéed in butter, and then added to a hearty beef and barley stew. It was delicious and added a bunch of nutrition
I used to eat the flowers of henbit when i was a child. They had a sweet taste. I had no clue they were edible until today. Pretty sure i saw these growing in my yard. I'll have to see if i can identify them for certain! It'd be a fun way to revisit my childhood XD
We have Florida betony (Stachys floridana) starting to take over a corner of the property. Very similar looking and also edible and useful.
Look into wild lemon balm look about the same and in abundance! Growing right next to this plant , lemon balm has a very lemony flavor great in salads
Great video! I'm looking forward to more videos on other common edible wild greens that we see almost every day. My tip: The way I remember which is which is that Henbit flowers look like a rooster's head on a tall neck but Dead Nettle flowers look like little skulls.
I forage my 1 acre property for edibles for humans and chickens. Thank you for your knowledge and experience. I now include the henbit to collect. Mallow, grasses, clovers, purslane, henbit, sunflowers, dandelions, and so many more edibles present in my small space.😊
Oh cool, I see this plant growing in my backyard and was wondering what it was
Henbit is the first spring annual to come up in the desert where i live. The chickens really do eat it up, so i don't weed it out, especially since it doesn't have any negative traits. .
oOo I'm so excited purple deadnettle COVERS my backyard!!
Thank you so much for making this video I've seen this here in Phoenix and was curious about what it was
I've didn't know they were two different plants. I've always just ate the purple flowers. nothing more. and since there two plants the purple flowers taste good on both
Yeah with the henbit, you would take out the purple flowers and nibble on the end their pretty sweet 4:31
Thank you, I got red deadnettle growing all over in my front yard (sort of shady). I just tasted some of the flowers, not much taste, but they will be pretty on a salad. Greetings from Denmark ❤
Ground mint vs Creeping Charlie would be an awesome video. When it comes to eating them raw, I love henbit raw much more than I do purple deadnettle, which is fuzzier than I like
As a kid, I would pluck the flowers of henbit off and suck the ends. Never knew what it was called, though, and this video popped up.
I have dried some dead nettle for tea and used fresh plant material for a medicinal tincture.
I used to eat the flowers on my elementary school playground
Purple Henbit! One time when I was very poor in my early 20's I harvested a bunch from my backyard to eat. It didnt taste good plain even after cooking. I gave up eating it after that first attempt. But, i'm sure it can taste better with proper seasoning. Perhaps sautéed in beef talow. Or air fried with oil/salt.
Henbit? My grandma calls them chickweed and good for nothing but chickens. 😅 Thanks for this though. Some point I need to get out and try for myself. Anyone else think they're beautiful growing alongside dandelions or is it just me? 🥰
I just found your channel, and what a well of info I've stumbled into. I've wanted to learn this type of stuff for soooooo long but found it difficult to get into/find a starting point.
Good part is it doesn't have to be food only in dire circumstances. Bad part is that that's about when we'd eat it though. Good thing the army has food.
Omg, I've been wondering what henbit is my entire life, I finally have a name
Thanks for the info and differences. I love those flowers growing in my yard, they are so pretty! And yes, I eondeted if you could eat them, 😅😂😅❤❤❤❤
I wish I had henbit growing instead of so much purple deadnettle. Maybe my chickens would eat more of it. I will dehydrate some and make tea. Good to know their use.
I must have a strong ability to differentiate. These look nothing alike to me. And to me Stinging and Dead Nettles look NOTHING alike. I use Dead Nettles fresh in salad, but not a lot. The flavor is meh. It’s all over now. I’ll definitely gather some to dry for tea! 🌿💚
I've only found one patch of dead nettles hidden among some lilies near my home, so I haven't picked them
In Alabama, the locals call henbit “creeping Charlie”
@modernpioneer1997
4 ай бұрын
That’s what Minnesotans call it also
Great for teas and salads. Purple dead nettle is Anti inflammatory, Anti bacterial and Anti fungal. Also great for topical bites/Stings cuts and itching.
Great information! I have all of these in my yard. 😁
you can wistle with hen bits purple flowers
I would mess these up with Ground Ivy/Alehoof. Oh that's Creeping Charlie!
My yard is FULL of purple deadnettle. I like to cut it up pretty fine and add it to other foods.
You can eat clovers. They used to be a common food for a really long time.
My dog Sam eats purple flowers We ain't got much but what we got's ours We dig snow and rain and bright sunshine Draggin' the line (draggin' the line) Draggin' the line (draggin' the line)
I like stinging nettle tea - even without sweetener. I hear it grows great with ... is it peppermint/spearmint. And I hear it's great for Vitamin A, iirc.
woah. I have both of those. one has a square stem I think, like mint... currently listening
@ClassicMaggie
3 ай бұрын
oh, haha! I was right. they both are mint in fact.
Can I say, coming from someone with a lisp as well, your Lisp is a beautiful defining characteristic and it’s adorable! 😅
@NarrowPathDiaries
4 ай бұрын
I barely noticed his until I saw this comment
@patc.5006
4 ай бұрын
I didn't notice it either.
@Jimmy94411
4 ай бұрын
I don’t hear one
I’ve seen these in my yard but my parents spray weeds around the house. How long should I wait before trying to consume? Thanks for the great content keep it up sir!!!
@YSLRD
4 ай бұрын
Don't eat them. Ever. Only forage areas that aren't sprayed.
@TheTeanaciousLeaf
4 ай бұрын
@@YSLRD thanks it’s so hard here in NC to find an area that HAS NOT been sprayed. Same for Kudzu!
my friends, the white margined burrower bugs, like red deadnettle :)
I think the dead nettles may be adaptogenic since they are in the Lamiaceae family.
The Dead Nettle in my area always has bugs in the purple flowers.
They are excellent in a quiche!
Gonna try that tea.
Haha I thought that was ground ivy/creeping charlie at first!
Can I eat it or not?! I need answers! The anticipation is killing me! You know what?..... yolo
@skhotzim_bacon
4 ай бұрын
Not bad.. kinda sweet.. with an aftertaste that reminds me of Roundup. Am I going to die?!
@potterylady44
4 ай бұрын
@shkotzim_bacon lolol...no. it is edible but not so tasty.
@skhotzim_bacon
4 ай бұрын
@@potterylady44 Thank you! I'll leave the waiting room of the ER now...
I legit saw some today and was thinking this !
Thank you for this info , but how can we plant these??? When And how they grow?
Deadnettle sounds like a good Metal band name