# shepherd's-purse (*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! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 13 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Nasturtium, Watercresses ![shepherd's-purse](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Capsella_bursa-pastoris.JPG&width=800) Photo: Eike Wulfmeyer, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capsella_bursa-pastoris.JPG) ## Appearance 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Capsella ## Interesting facts - 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! ## Special abilities - **Seed Superpower:** shepherd's-purse can produce thousands of long-lived seeds that stay viable in soil for decades, ensuring future generations. - **Global Explorer:** shepherd's-purse can thrive in very diverse soil types and climates, allowing it to grow almost anywhere on Earth. - **Sticky Traveler:** shepherd's-purse has seeds that become sticky when wet, helping them cling to animals or shoes for travel. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-50 cm - **Spread:** 5-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Year-round in mild climates, otherwise spring to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Self ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar - **Eats:** Small White butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — larvae munch on its leaves - **Eats:** [House sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — forages on its seeds ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before touching or eating any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify shepherd's-purse? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is shepherd's-purse? 5-50 cm ### How wide does shepherd's-purse spread? 5-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on shepherd's-purse? 0.2-0.4 cm ### When does shepherd's-purse bloom? Year-round in mild climates, otherwise spring to fall ### Is shepherd's-purse edible? Yes ### Is shepherd's-purse toxic? None ### What is shepherd's-purse's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Bellefontaine Cemetery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellefontaine-cemetery) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden - [Parc linéaire de la rivière Saint-Charles](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parc-lin-aire-de-la-rivi-re-saint-charles) — Québec, CA · Park - [Roosevelt Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/roosevelt-park-zoo) — North Dakota, US · Zoo - [Butte-Anaconda Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butte-anaconda-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Cheraw Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cheraw-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Gold Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gold-hill) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see shepherd's-purse](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/shepherds-purse) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Shepherd's-purse: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shepherds-purse)