How to Get Rid of Red Dead-nettle

Red dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum) is a common annual weed of UK borders, vegetable beds and bare ground, appearing from early spring. Despite the name it does not sting — "dead-nettle" means it only looks nettle-like. It is one of the easiest weeds to control: it is shallow-rooted, short-lived, and pulls up without a fight. The only reason it spreads is that it sets seed quickly and can fit several generations into a year, so the trick is simply to deal with it before it seeds. This guide covers how — and why you might leave a little of it.

How to identify it

Red dead-nettle is a low, soft plant with square stems and downy, heart-shaped, scalloped leaves that are often tinged purple towards the top. It carries small pinkish-purple two-lipped flowers from spring onwards. Unlike a true nettle the leaves are soft and harmless to touch. The roots are shallow and fibrous, with no creeping runner or taproot.

How to get rid of red dead-nettle

Hoe or hand-pull. Because the roots are shallow, the simplest method is to run a hoe through beds on a dry day, or pull plants up by hand — they lift cleanly. Do this while plants are young and you will clear them in moments.

Catch it before it seeds. The one rule that matters: remove plants before the flowers turn to seed. A single plant can complete its life cycle in a few weeks and shed seed for the next generation, so a regular spring and early-summer hoeing keeps numbers down for good.

Mulch. A layer of organic mulch over bare soil stops seed germinating and is the easiest long-term prevention in borders. In the vegetable garden, keeping ground either cropped or covered does the same job.

Weedkiller is rarely needed. Given how easily it pulls up, chemicals are seldom justified for red dead-nettle. For a large weedy area being cleared before planting, a contact or glyphosate weedkiller will deal with it, but hoeing is usually quicker and cleaner.

Should you keep some?

Red dead-nettle is one of the first flowers of the year and an important early nectar source for bumblebees and other pollinators emerging in spring, and it is harmless and easily pulled. Many gardeners tolerate a little of it in an out-of-the-way spot and only clear it from beds and paths where it is genuinely in the way. It is a mild weed, not an invasive one.