Shepherd’s purse

Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.

Capsella bursa-pastoris

Common introduced weed · not on state Lists A/B/C. C-floristic-2020 CO-rules-2025

An early-seeding lawn and garden weed. Exposure help.

Still researching this plant

This is a sourced working profile. Evidence is incomplete for People, Dogs & cats, Other animals. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.

Three views of this plant

Source-identified reference photographs; these are not a complete identification key. A source location outside Colorado does not establish local occurrence.

Shepherd’s-purse: a flat basal rosette of deeply lobed leaves spreads over bare soil. — **rosette** — A flat basal rosette of deeply lobed leaves spreads over bare soil.
Rasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified C. bursa-pastoris. Rosette leaves vary greatly and overlap other mustards; the distinctive fruits and floral characters provide stronger identification than rosette shape alone.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Shepherd’s-purse: whole plant laid against a plain surface, with a basal rosette and slender branching flowering stalks. — **habit** — Whole plant laid against a plain surface, with a basal rosette and slender branching flowering stalks.
Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified C. bursa-pastoris. Rosette leaves vary greatly and overlap other mustards; the distinctive fruits and floral characters provide stronger identification than rosette shape alone.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Shepherd’s-purse: triangular heart-shaped green pods line a slender stem below small white flowers. — **fruit-flower** — Triangular heart-shaped green pods line a slender stem below small white flowers.
H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified C. bursa-pastoris. Rosette leaves vary greatly and overlap other mustards; the distinctive fruits and floral characters provide stronger identification than rosette shape alone.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Identification

A small annual mustard with a basal leaf rosette, tiny white flowers and flat, heart-shaped or triangular seedpods. Seedlings can establish in spring or autumn. N-capsella-bursa-pastoris

People

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for people. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Dogs & cats

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for dogs or cats. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Other animals

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for livestock. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Plants & habitat

It readily colonizes disturbed ground and reseeds in gardens and roadsides. Drought and compaction tolerance help it persist. N-capsella-bursa-pastoris

Management & timing

Pull or hoe before the distinctive pods mature. Check again after another flush of seedlings. C-descriptions

Before taking action

Confirm identification and the requirements of your county weed program. For chemical treatment, follow the current product label, including restrictions around animals and water. S27

References

C-floristic-2020 — Colorado Floristic Quality Assessment: 2020 Update, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:27:33+00:00. Locator: Appendix B, Colorado species list: scientific name and native/non-native fields.
CO-rules-2025 — Colorado Noxious Weed Act rules, 8 CCR 1206-2, Colorado Secretary of State / Department of Agriculture. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:07:48+00:00. Locator: Parts 3.1, 4.1, 5.1; management provisions; effective May 15, 2025.
N-capsella-bursa-pastoris — Capsella bursa pastoris, NC State Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:23:11+00:00. Locator: Description, identification attributes and plant problems; toxicity section where present.
C-descriptions — Weed descriptions, Colorado State University Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:24:02+00:00. Locator: Species entries.
S27 — 2103 – Colorado Noxious Weeds, PlantTalk Colorado · CSU Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:57+00:00. Locator: List A, B and C management categories.

Content revised 2026-09-07 02:46:00Z · Source checks dated separately in the references.