Shepherd's purse.

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe

Einfach

Pflanzenart

Annual herb

Licht

Full sun to partial shade

Licht im Innenraum

Direkte Sonne

Gießen

Alle 3 bis 7 Tage

Endgröße

1.5 feet

Wachstum

Schnell

Winterhärte

USDA 3 bis 9

Blütezeit

Early spring to late autumn

Pflege

This plant is quite resilient and typically thrives without any human intervention. Keep an eye out for overcrowding if you are letting it grow in a garden bed. It prefers cool weather and will often go to seed quickly once temperatures rise.

Gießen

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged for best growth.

Düngen

This plant generally does not require supplemental fertilizer.

Schneiden

Remove spent flower stalks if you want to prevent it from spreading seeds.

Umtopfen

As an annual, this plant completes its life cycle in one season and does not need repotting.

Boden

Well draining soil

Boden-pH

6.0 to 7.5

Temperatur

-15 bis 30°C

Luftfeuchtigkeit

40 bis 80%

Trockenheitstoleranz

Mittel

Sicherheit

Menschen

This plant is generally considered non-toxic to humans.

Kinder

The small seed pods could pose a minor choking hazard if ingested in large quantities by small children.

Kontaktallergene

Some individuals may experience mild skin irritation from handling the foliage.

Allergene in der Luft

The pollen can cause mild respiratory irritation in sensitive individuals.

Essbarkeit

While the leaves are edible, avoid harvesting from areas treated with herbicides or polluted soil as this plant readily accumulates contaminants.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

• Heart shaped flat seed pods
• Basal rosette of lobed leaves
• Small white four petaled flowers
• Slender upright flowering stems

Höhe

0,1 bis 0,5m

Breite

0,05 bis 0,2m

Blätter

green, blue-green, deciduous

Blüten

white, 0,2 bis 0,4cm

Früchte

green, brown, Spring to autumn

Häufige Probleme

• Downy mildew — Appears as yellow patches on leaves during cool, damp weather.
• Aphids — Small insects that cluster on flower stalks and undersides of leaves.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung

seed

Pflanzzeit

spring, autumn

Because it is a prolific self-seeder, keep it away from areas where you want a permanent, non-weedy landscape.

Gute Pflanzpartner

• Lettuce — They share similar moisture needs in early spring.
• Radish — Both are fast growing members of the same family.

Ähnliche Arten

• Thlaspi arvense — It has similar white flowers and is also a common agricultural weed.

Botanisches

Familie

Brassicaceae

Gattung

Capsella

Ordnung

Brassicales

Klasse

Magnoliopsida

Ursprüngliche Heimat

Europe and parts of Western Asia, now naturalized globally.

Artenschutz

This plant is a widespread, common weed and is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed soil and open areas, quickly colonizing bare ground through prolific seed production.

Nutzen für Wildtiere

nectar source, early season forage

Bestäuber

Bienen, Schmetterlinge, Käfer

Verwendung

culinary greens, traditional herbal medicine, wildlife forage

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

Is shepherd's purse a weed?

Yes, it is widely considered a common garden and agricultural weed.

Can I eat it?

Yes, the young leaves are edible and have a peppery taste similar to arugula.

Woher der Name kommt

The name Capsella bursa-pastoris translates to little box of the shepherd's purse, referring to the shape of the seed pods.

Gut zu wissen

• Shepherd's purse is one of the most widely distributed plants in the world.
• The plant can produce multiple generations of seeds in a single growing season.
• It is a member of the Brassicaceae family, making it a relative of mustard and cabbage.
• The seeds can remain viable in the soil for several years.