Shepherd’s Purse

Origin: Eastern Europe & Asia minor

Family: Brassicaceae
Scientific Name: Capsella bursa-pastoris

Folk Names: Blindweed, caseweed, casewort, clappedepouch, lady’s purse, mother-die, mother’s heart, pepper-and-salt, pick-pocket, pick-purse, pick-your-mother’s-heart-out, poor man’s parmacettie, rattlepouch, rifle-the-ladies'-purse, sanguinary, scrip, shepherd’s bag, shepherd’s pounce, shepherd’s scrip, St James’s wort, toy-wort, whoreman’s permacety, witches' pouches

Magical

Element: Earth
Day: Saturday
Planet: Saturn
Zodiac: Capricorn

Parts used: Herb

Magical Properties: Prosperity, protection, healing, emotional strength, willpower, self-esteem

Magical Uses

• Carry shepherd’s purse with you for prosperity
• Burn shepherd’s purse with bay leaves, cinnamon, and juniper berries to attract prosperity

Botanical

Shepherd’s purse is the second-most prolific wild plant in the world. It’s also a protocarnivore - it’s been found that its seeds attract and kill nematodes in order to enrich the soil.

Type: Short-lived annual herb
Plant Height: Usually 10-50cm
Leaves: Basal rosette of lobed leaves with some pointed leaves on the stem
Flowers: Year-round: Small (2.5mm) white flowers with 4 petals & 6 stamens in loose racemes
Fruit: Triangular or heart-shaped two-chambered seed pods, each containing several seeds

Etymology: Named shepherd’s purse because of the shape of the seed pods, which resemble a medieval purse.

Capsella is believed to be derived from Latin capsa (case, or holder) and -ella (lesser). Bursa-pastoris is also Latin for shepherd’s-purse.