Red Deadnettle or Purple Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is a herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe and Asia.
It grows to 5-20 cm (rarely 30 cm) in height. The leaves 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.
Red Dead-Nettle - WWC Archives
The flowers are bright red-purple, and may be produced throughout the year, including mild weather in winter. This allows bees to gather its nectar for food when few other nectar sources are available. It is also a prominent source of pollen for bees in March/April (in UK), when bees need the pollen as protein to build up their nest.
Though superficially similar to a nettle in appearance, it is not related and does not sting, hence the name "deadnettle".
Young plants have edible tops and leaves, good in salads or in stirfry as a spring vegetable. If finely chopped it can also be used in sauces, but there is little to recommend about its flavour.
Undyed, the pollen itself is a red colour.
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