Shepherd's Purse

Capsella bursa-pastoris

Plant Data

Order:

Brassicales

Family:

Brassicaceae (Cabbage)

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Flowers:

White, forming loose clusters, 4 petals, 6 yellowish-green stamens.

Fruit:

Many distinctive heart-shaped fruits, up to 9mm wide. Many-seeded and stalked.

Leaves:

This is an overwintering flower. A basal rosette is present. The stem leaves are short-stalked and alternate along the stems. The leaves can be toothed or untoothed. They are linear in shape with arrow-shaped lobes at their bases.

Maximum Size:

50cm tall.

Foraging Notes:

The leaves and seeds can be eaten, raw or cooked. High in vitamin C, iron and calcium.
Never consume a wild plant unless you are 100% certain that it is safe to eat and you know that you have identified it correctly.

Aroma:

Slightly fragrant.

Other Names:

Blind Weed, Caseweed, Chinese Cress, Cocowort, Common Shepherd's Purse, Lady's Purse, Locowort, Mother's Heart, Pick-pocket, Pick-purse, Poor Man's Parmacettie, Rattle Pouches, Sanguinary, Shepherd's Heart, Shepherd's Scrip, Shepherd's Sprout, Shovelweed, St James's Weed, Tabouret, Toywort, Witches' Pouches.

Habitats:

Farmland, gardens, lawns, meadows, roadsides, wasteland.