Scientific Name:
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Pronunciation:
kap-SEL-luh BUR-suh PAS-tor-is
Common Name:
shepherd's purse
Family Name:
Brassicaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (true), Weed (horticultural)
Key ID Features:
Leaves mostly basal, deeply lobed, oblanceolate, 8-12cm long x 3-4cm wide, stem leaves unlobed, lanceolate (leaf-like bracts on the peduncles); flowers tiny, white, on long racemes; fruit green then brown, heart-shaped, 4-8 long x 3-5mm wide.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Europe (Naturalized In BC)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Urban agriculture
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Oblanceolate, Spatulate
Apices:
Obtuse
Bases:
Attenuate, Sheathing
Margins:
Pinnately lobed, Serrulate
Additional Info:
note leaf dimorphism: basal leaves lobed, up to 10cm long x 2cm; peduncle bracts smaller and spear-shaped
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Silicle
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Leaf-like bracts
Maintenance:
High
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
