Shepherd's-purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Also listed as Bursa bursa-pastoris, Thlaspi bursa-pastoris
Also known as Common Shepherd's-purse, Case Weed, Pickpocket
Climate Match for your location
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Shepherd's-purse is a common cool-season annual or winter annual weed with small white flowers and distinctive heart-shaped seed pods. It readily self-seeds and is often found in disturbed areas and gardens.
Why grow it
Shepherd's-purse is a cold-hardy edible green with a peppery flavor similar to arugula or radish greens, making it useful for extending the cool-season harvest in temperate regions. As a volunteer that establishes readily in disturbed soil, it requires minimal inputs once established. It germinates quickly and can be interseeded into beds or allowed to naturalize in less intensively managed areas where its presence is tolerated.
Watch out for
This plant self-seeds prolifically and can dominate beds if not managed; some gardeners find it difficult to remove once established in informal plantings. The seedlings are fine and easily shaded out by larger transplants, so timing of direct seeding or transplanting matters for competitive outcomes.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Brassicaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Shepherd's-purse is a common cool-season annual or winter annual weed with small white flowers and distinctive heart-shaped seed pods. It readily self-seeds and is often found in disturbed areas and gardens.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Shepherd's-purse grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Shepherd's-purse is a cold-hardy edible green with a peppery flavor similar to arugula or radish greens, making it useful for extending the cool-season harvest in temperate regions. As a volunteer that establishes readily in disturbed soil, it requires minimal inputs once established. It germinates quickly and can be interseeded into beds or allowed to naturalize in less intensively managed areas where its presence is tolerated.
Watch out for
This plant self-seeds prolifically and can dominate beds if not managed; some gardeners find it difficult to remove once established in informal plantings. The seedlings are fine and easily shaded out by larger transplants, so timing of direct seeding or transplanting matters for competitive outcomes.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Brassicaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
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