Shepherds Purse
Broadleaf weed
Shepherds purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a fast-growing annual in the mustard family that shows up in lawns, gardens, and crop fields across the United States. Gardeners and growers notice it because it germinates in cool weather, sets seed quickly, and can produce several generations in a single season.
How to identify it
Young plants form a low rosette of lobed leaves that look a bit like dandelion, with deep, sometimes toothed cuts along the edges. A slender flower stalk rises 6 to 18 inches, topped with tiny four-petaled white flowers. The clearest clue is the seedpods: flat, heart-shaped or triangular purses that look like a shepherds pouch strung along the stem. It grows from a slim taproot and stays small overall.
Where it grows
It thrives in disturbed and compacted soil, favoring garden beds, thin lawns, field edges, cropland, sidewalk cracks, and roadsides. In most regions it germinates in fall and early spring and is most active in cool weather, though it can be found nearly year round in mild climates. It spreads only by seed, and a single plant can produce thousands of seeds that stay viable in the soil for years.
Why it is a problem
Because it matures and reseeds so fast, shepherds purse builds a large seed bank that fuels heavy reinfestation season after season. In vegetable beds and crop fields it competes with young plantings for moisture, light, and nutrients. It can also host pests and plant diseases that carry over to related garden crops such as cabbage and other brassicas.
How to manage it
Hand pull or hoe seedlings while they are young and the soil is moist, removing the taproot before flowers or pods form to stop new seed. A layer of mulch in garden beds blocks light and greatly reduces germination, and mowing or cutting stalks before pods mature limits reseeding. In lawns, thick, healthy turf and good soil that is not compacted crowds out new seedlings and is the best long-term defense. Prevention comes first: clear plants early, avoid letting any go to seed, and keep bare disturbed soil covered.
Commonly confused with
Young rosettes are often confused with dandelion or with peppergrass and other small mustards; the flat, heart-shaped seedpods set shepherds purse apart once it starts to flower.
General guidance for US lawns and gardens, focused on prevention and non-chemical control. For a confirmed identification and options specific to your area, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.