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This plant is a low-growing cool season annual. I'm guessing it is in the mint family because of it's square stems, triangular hairy leaves and distinctive odor. The plants are 4-8" tall, and grow wild in fields, gardens, lawns, and along roadsides. To my knowledge they are not cultivated. They grow in the same season as chickweed, Sprouting in fall, growing and blooming through winter, then peaking and finally dying by late spring. What is the name of this plant? enter image description here

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J. Musser
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Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum)

It grows to 5–20 cm (rarely 30 cm) in height. The leaves have fine hairs, are green at the bottom and shade to purplish at the top; they are 2–4 cm long and broad, with a 1–2 cm petiole (leaf stalk), and wavy to serrated margins.

  • Family: Mint (Lamiaceae)
  • Habitat: roadsides, waste places, gardens
  • Height: 4-12 inches
  • Flower size: 1/4 inch long
  • Flower color: lavender
  • Flowering time: April to October
  • Origin: Europe
nuttzman
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  • For me (I am in zone 8a), it blooms in March too. Also, it the OP says it dies at the end of spring, do it can't flower till October... This data that you mention seems to be a little confused on on flowering time – VividD Mar 20 '18 at 14:49