| Lamium | |
|---|---|
| Henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Lamium L. |
| Species | |
|
About 50 species; see text |
|
Lamium (deadnettle) is a genus of about 40-50 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, of which family it is the type genus. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa, but several have become very successful weeds of crop fields and are now widely naturalised across the temperate world.
The genus includes both annual and perennial species; they spread by both seeds and stems rooting as they grow along the ground.
The common name refers to their superficial resemblance to the unrelated stinging nettles, but unlike those, they do not have stinging hairs and so are harmless or apparently "dead".
Several closely related genera were formerly included in Lamium by some botanists, including Galeopsis (hemp-nettles) and Leonurus (motherworts).
Lamium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Angle Shades, Setaceous Hebrew Character and the Coleophora case-bearers C. ballotella, C. lineolea and C. ochripennella.
Lamiums are frost hardy and grow well in most soils. Flower colour determines planting season and light requirement: white- and purple-coloured flowered species are planted in spring and prefer full sun. The yellow-flowered ones are planted in fall (autumn) and prefer shade. They often have invasive habits and need plenty of room. Propagate from seed or by division in early spring.