trefle.io · Taken Jan 1, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Brassicaceae
Shepherd's-purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Also known as Pickpocket, Rodschiedia bursa-pastoris, Mother's heart, Thlaspi bursa-pastoris var. microcarpum
Edibles & Herbs · Flowering Plants · Native Plants · Herb · Medicinal · Annual · Self-Seeding · White · Flowers · Edible · Wild · Hardy
Shepherd's purse is an extremely hardy annual that thrives in poor soils and requires minimal care once established. This self-seeding herb produces small white flowers and distinctive heart-shaped seed pods throughout the growing season. Allow some plants to go to seed for continuous growth, and harvest young leaves for culinary or medicinal use.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 4 hours
- Watering
- Light watering when soil is completely dry, very drought tolerant once established · Water only during extended dry periods
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- loam
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- Temperature
- -30°F to 95°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
- Propagation
- Seed
Hardiness
USDA 4a-10b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 2 ft – 5 ft
- Spread
- 12 in
- Spacing
- 6 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Root depth
- Medium
- Flowers
- Yes
- Foliage
- Medium
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Afghanistan, Alabama, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Algeria, Altay, Amur, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus
- Attracts
- Bees
Sources: trefle, usda
Buy this plant
No nurseries currently list it
No nursery lists Shepherd's-purse right now.