Download A solitary purple flower stands out against a crisp background

Have you see fields like this? If you've driven anywhere in Missouri this time of year you almost certainly have. I have learned thanks to an interesting article on Farm Progress is the fields are covered in henbit and purple deadnettle. I realize that I'm not an expert in plants, but even someone like me recognizes they're "pretty".. Commentary: Here's why fields are purple — and what to do about it.

One sign of spring are purple flowers in the fields of southern Indiana and western Kentucky. But what are they and where do they come from?. As mentioned earlier, the purple ground cover in fields is a type of weed called henbit or purple deadnettle. These plants are part of the mint family and have small bright lavender flowers with red spots.