This plant is in our yard. It's probably a weed. What is it?

April 27, 2016 11:15 AM

We live in southwestern Ohio, and have these plants (photos at the link) coming up all around the lawn. They vaguely resemble catnip or some other mint-variety, but the leaves have no scent. They come up quickly and bloom quickly as well. What are they?
posted by dryad to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Best answer: "Dead-nettle" I think. Here is a blog entry about a similar looking plant. Pretty considering its name. And Wikipedia.
posted by aught at 11:19 AM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

(Note they are in the mint family, not the nettle family, despite the name.)
posted by aught at 11:22 AM on April 27, 2016

I second, purple deadnettle.
posted by It'sANewDawn at 11:24 AM on April 27, 2016

I've got loads of those in my front yard. My wife thinks they're creepy, for some reason.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:30 AM on April 27, 2016

Best answer: Not that this is advice to do so, but I've eaten it. Pretty tasty wild green.
posted by gregr at 11:45 AM on April 27, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: That was quick! Thanks, everyone! (Now to consider whether or not to experiment with it as an edible.)
posted by dryad at 11:51 AM on April 27, 2016

We have loads of the related Lamiastrum galeobdolon growing, as a hardy and vigorous holdover from someone who lived in our house before we did. We've tried it as an edible, too, but weren't impressed. It's fairly bitter, but without the flavors that other bitter herbs bring along as an apology (like the spiciness of arugula, for instance, that apologizes for its bitterness).

The "dead" in "dead nettle" seems to be a reference to its absence of nettle's stinging qualities.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:48 PM on April 27, 2016 [2 favorites]

We have tons of these in DC and I'm stoked to know it's edible as well as invincible.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:30 PM on April 28, 2016