



Capsella bursa-pastoris
Shepherd's purse is a small plant with heart-shaped seed pods. It grows in many places and is often found in gardens and fields. This plant is fun to spot because of its unique shape!
Habitat: Urban areas
The shepherd's-purse has a rosette of deeply lobed leaves at its base and a slender stem. Tiny white, four-petaled flowers appear at the top, followed by distinctive, triangular, heart-shaped seed pods.




Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
13
Wow! Its seeds can survive buried in soil for more than 30 years before sprouting.
Wow! Shepherd's purse can complete its entire life cycle in just six weeks!
Wow! This amazing plant grows on every single continent, except for Antarctica!
Wow! Young shepherd's purse leaves taste a bit like spicy mustard or peppery rocket!
shepherd's-purse can produce thousands of long-lived seeds that stay viable in soil for decades, ensuring future generations.
shepherd's-purse can thrive in very diverse soil types and climates, allowing it to grow almost anywhere on Earth.
shepherd's-purse has seeds that become sticky when wet, helping them cling to animals or shoes for travel.
Apis mellifera
visits flowers for nectar
Pieris rapae
larvae munch on its leaves

Passer domesticus
forages on its seeds
Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always ask an adult before touching or eating any plants.
The easiest way to identify shepherd's-purse is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
5-50 cm
5-20 cm
0.2-0.4 cm
Year-round in mild climates, otherwise spring to fall
Yes
None
Annual
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.

Missouri, US
You might spot Common Eastern Bumble Bee and Brown-Belted Bumble Bee.
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Québec, CA
You might spot Common Eastern Bumble Bee and Asian Lady Beetle.
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North Dakota, US
You might spot African Lion, Tiger, and Reticulated Giraffe.
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Montana, US
You might spot Spotted Knapweed, Great Mullein, and Nodding Onion.
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South Carolina, US
You might spot Yellow Pitcher Plant and Juvenal's Duskywing.
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Colorado, US
You might spot Front Range Beardtongue and Mountain Ball Cactus.
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