Leaf
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shepherd's purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.
Family: Brassicaceae
10 to 40 cm
Wasteland, paths, cultivated fields, waste ground
Flowering: All year round
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -12°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Small triangular fruits shaped like a purse — the quickest identification clue, more so than the flower.
🍃 Leaves
In a rosette, cut into irregular teeth
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, white, four petals in a cross
🍎 Fruits
Small triangular capsules shaped like a purse or a heart
🪵 Bark
Slender, erect herbaceous stem
🗺️ Distribution
Native to Europe, now cosmopolitan; very common in France in gardens, cultivated fields and waste ground
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small white flowers with little nectar, occasionally visited by small foraging insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Regarded as a weed, with no ornamental use
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity
🌿 Other Brassicaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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