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Capsella spp.
Shepherd's-purses
Native to eastern Europe and Asia Minor; naturalized worldwide
SunFull Sun – Part Shade
Overview
Capsella spp. is a small genus of about five annual and biennial herbs in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). The genus is dominated by C. bursa-pastoris, the shepherd's purse, a near-cosmopolitan weed of gardens, fields, and roadsides. Plants begin as a flat basal rosette of lobed to deeply toothed leaves, then send up branched stems 4-18 inches (10-45 cm) tall topped with loose clusters of tiny four-petalled white flowers about 0.1 inch (2-3 mm) across. The flowers give way to the characteristic flat, triangular to heart-shaped seedpods that give the genus its common name. Capsella spp. flowers and seeds through much of the year wherever winters are mild, and a single plant can produce thousands of seeds, allowing several generations per season. It grows in poor, compacted, and disturbed soils that defeat many plants, but it is short-lived and weedy, spreading freely into cultivated ground. The young rosette leaves are edible and the plant has a long history of folk medicinal use.
Native Range
Capsella spp. is thought to be native to eastern Europe and Asia Minor and has spread with human cultivation to temperate and subtropical regions on every continent except Antarctica.Suggested Uses
Grown chiefly as an edible wild green and in herb or foraging gardens, where the peppery young rosettes are harvested before flowering. It also appears in informal meadow and pollinator plantings. Seed is sown thinly and plants thinned to about 4 inches (10 cm) apart for leaf production.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'6"
Width/Spread2" - 8"
Bloom Information
Where winters are mild, Capsella spp. flowers almost year-round, with peaks in spring and autumn; in colder areas it blooms from spring to first frost. The small white flowers open over a long period as the stem lengthens. Seed sets quickly and continuously behind the advancing flowers.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Capsella spp. needs little care and grows in almost any soil in full sun to light shade, tolerating poor, compacted, and dry ground with a pH around 6.0-7.5. Seed is sown by scattering on disturbed soil and lightly raking in, and germination is rapid in cool, moist conditions. Plants need minimal water once established and require no fertilizer. Because each plant sheds thousands of seeds, removing flower stems before the pods ripen limits self-sowing where it is unwanted. Most plants complete their cycle in 6 to 10 weeks. The species can become weedy in cultivated beds.Pruning
No pruning is needed. Flowering stems are sheared or pulled before the seedpods ripen to reduce self-seeding. Whole plants are pulled and composted once flowering or cropping is over.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Days to Maturity
40–70 days
Plant Spacing
4 inches