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Shepherd's-Purse

Shepherd's-Purse

Capsella bursa-pastoris

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How common: Very common

Alien species

Shepherd's-Purse is a small, very common plant of towns, fields and roadsides. It is easy to spot by its flat, triangular to heart-shaped pods on long stalks that look like tiny purses. It often sprouts in autumn and overwinters as a low ring of leaves before shooting up a flowering stem in spring.

Did you know?

  • The plant’s name comes from its purse-shaped seed pods.
  • In mild weather it can keep flowering well into autumn.

About the species

Identification

A small upright plant, usually 10–40 cm tall, often overwintering as a low leaf rosette. Stems are sparsely hairy. Basal leaves form a rosette and vary from lobed to almost unlobed; upper leaves are narrower with toothed edges. The top carries a leafless string of tiny white, four-petalled flowers. Soon after, flat pods appear on long stalks, widening toward the tip and shaped like a triangle or little heart. This pod shape separates it from similar white-flowered weeds, which usually have long narrow pods. Flowers in Finland from May to September.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

yards and roadsides

Flowering

May–Sep

About the habitat

Grows in disturbed ground such as yards, paths, fields, gardens, rocky places, roadsides and waste ground. Common throughout the country.

Sources

Photo: Christian Ferrer, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capsella bursa-pastoris, Sète cf01.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki versot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38452

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38452

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38452

Text: Pinkka: BIO-516 Hyötykasvit - Kotimaan villivihanneksia ja marjoja, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38452

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38452

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutukka

See also