Capsella bursa-pastoris Seeds | Shepherd’s Purse
LATIN NAME: Capsella bursa-pastoris
COMMON NAME: Shepherd’s Purse
Plant Profile
Capsella bursa-pastoris — Shepherd’s Purse — is a species in the mustard family with genuine garden merit. When it flowers, local bees and other insects make good use of it. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Capsella bursa-pastoris ranges from the botany of the mustard family to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. It retains a following among breeders and collectors, which keeps seed stocks in circulation.
Uses & Benefits
Shepherd’s Purse brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Its young leaves are also edible and have been foraged as a wild green in various culinary traditions, offering a mild, slightly peppery flavour similar to other members of the mustard family. Beyond the establishment year, its needs are simple and few.
Shepherd’s purse is a classic European styptic herb, traditionally used to slow bleeding and officially listed in several pharmacopoeias; the young leaves and seeds are also a potherb and condiment in East Asia.
Growing from Seed
Raising Shepherd’s Purse from seed is straightforward. Sow seed directly into a loose, well-drained mix at a shallow depth, keeping it lightly moist until germination. Full sun to light shade suits this exceptionally adaptable annual well, and it typically self-seeds prolifically once established, true to its reputation as one of the most successfully naturalised plants in the world. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in full sun until the seedlings are well up. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Among the Capsella group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. From then on, routine care is all that is required.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Shepherd’s Purse often pair it with these related subjects: