A common weed that can be spectacularly beautiful in large masses. It infests lawns, but never grows very tall, blooms prettily, and smells like mint when you mow it.
For a longer description, see the Glechoma hederacea reference page.
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Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)
Photographed May 20. 
Photographed May 29. 
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Purple Archangel (Lamium purpureum)
These delightful little flowers give us two or more months of solid bloom from late winter through mid-spring, and in addition to the flowers they have very decorative bronze-purple upper leaves. The only thing that keeps us from noticing them is that they are everywhere. If they were rarer, they would be loved; since they are in every lawn and sidewalk crack, they are ignored.
This plant was blooming in Beechview, where it was photographed on May 5.
For a full description, see the Lamium purpureum reference page.
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Bugles (Ajuga reptans)
A popular ground cover often found wild in the woods or even in city lawns. The cultivated varieties often have purple or variegated leaves; the wild ones have attractive dark-green leaves. These were blooming in the Kane Woods Nature Area, Scott Township, where they had their pictures taken on May 5.
For a fuller description, see the Ajuga reptans reference page.
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Purple Archangel (Lamium purpureum)
Also called Purple or Red Dead-Nettle, these little flowers are in full bloom right now in the middle of April. These tiny flowers pop up in lawns and along the edges of sidewalks. If they were larger or rarer, they would be garden treasures; their success makes them unappreciated. These pictures were taken in Beechview on April 12 and 14.
For a fuller description, see the Lamium purpureum reference page.
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Purple Archangel (Lamium purpureum)
Photographed February 23. One of the first spring wildflowers, Purple Archangel or Purple Dead-Nettle can take advantage of a warm period in the middle of the winter to bloom for a few days. It is a very attractive flower on a small scale; as weeds go, this one is hard to object to very much.
See the full description on the Lamium purpureum page at the reference site.
