Shepherd's purse

the herb of shepherd's purse (Bursae pastoris herba)

Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is a small annual with white flowers and flattened, heart-shaped seed pods that look like a shepherd's pouch; its Latin name comes from them too. It grows as a weed in fields, in gardens, beside paths and in cracks in paving, almost all year round.

The flowering herb is gathered without the root, from spring to autumn; a young plant that does not yet carry many ripe pods is best. It is dried quickly in the shade, because it is succulent and blackens if the drying is slow.

The plant is so widespread that what matters most when gathering is the place: not beside roads, not in sprayed fields. In Ašič's collection the herb of shepherd's purse appears in the After Exertion blend.

Use and evidence

The EMA recognises traditional use to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding in women with regular cycles, but only after a doctor has ruled out serious causes. EMA.