| Shepherd’s Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris |
| I have always liked Shepherd’s Purse, and l am unsure why, but l have, and l do. I think it is a delightful little weed. It can be found in fields, gardens, woodland tracks, pathways, and roadways and disturbed and broken soils in cultivated land. It’s part of the mustard family. Many people see it as a different thing. To some, it is a wildflower; to others, a weed; and to others, an herb. It is also known as ‘Mother’s Heart’ and ‘Case-Weed’ because the seed pods resemble tiny hearts. But the very name of the plant can be traced back to the skin-textured pouch or purse that shepherds used to carry about with them when herding cattle. Shepherd’s Purse leaves can be sautéed or eaten raw or tossed into a salad alongside the pods, which have a spicy taste and add a bit of crunch to a salad. Initially, apothecaries used to grow the herb for medicinal purposes in medieval times. Like anything foraged from the wild, moderation and caution must be practised. It can be an invasive weed due to the sheer volume of seed pods each plant can produce, which number in the thousands every year. It can take to the ground very quickly and spread like wildfire. Seeds buried or lost to broken soils can remain dormant for quite a few years and, once resurfaced, will germinate speedily. Bees, wasps, and butterflies are known to feed on the tiny flowers, while small birds and some mammals consume the seeds. |
Earthly Comforts 
I loved this plant when I was a child, and it’s still adorable…
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Yes very much so, a sort of pixie plant 🙂
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There was one with blue flowers, Speedwell, I think they called it…
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