Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 4, 5, 52, 94]. The young leaves, used before the plant comes into flower, make a fine addition to salads[9]. The leaves are a cress and cabbage substitute[12], becoming peppery with age[172]. Leaves are usually available all year round, though they can also be dried for later use[12]. The leaves contain about 2.9% protein, 0.2% fat, 3.4% carbohydrate, 1% ash. They are rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C[179]. A zero moisture basis analysis is available[218]. The young flowering shoots can be eaten raw or cooked[264]. They are rather thin and fiddly but the taste is quite acceptable. They can be available at most times of the year. Seed - raw or cooked[94, 172]. It can be ground into a meal and used in soups etc[102, 183]. It is very fiddly to harvest and utilize, the seed is very small[85]. The seed contains 35% of a fatty oil[179]. This oil can be extracted and is edible[74]. The seedpods can be used as a peppery seasoning for soups and stews[183]. The fresh or dried root is a ginger substitute[85, 172, 183].

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


Shepherd's purse is little used in herbalism, though it is a commonly used domestic remedy, being especially efficacious in the treatment of both internal and external bleeding, diarrhoea etc[4, 222]. A tea made from the whole plant is antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, haemostatic, hypotensive, oxytocic, stimulant, vasoconstrictor, vasodilator and vulnerary[4, 7, 9, 13, 21, 46, 147, 165, 172, 176, 222]. A tea made from the dried herb is considered to be a sovereign remedy against haemorrhages of all kinds - the stomach, the lungs, the uterus and more especially the kidneys[4, 222]. The plant can be used fresh or dried, for drying it is harvested in the summer[9]. The dried herb quickly loses its effectiveness and should not be stored for more than a year[9]. Clinical trials on the effectiveness of this plant as a wound herb have been inconclusive[244]. It appears that either it varies considerably in its effectiveness from batch to batch, or perhaps a white fungus that is often found on the plant contains the medically active properties[244]. The plant has been ranked 7th amongst 250 potential anti-fertility plants in China[218]. It has proven uterine-contracting properties and is traditionally used during childbirth[222]. The plant is a folk remedy for cancer - it contains fumaric acid which has markedly reduced growth and viability of Ehrlich tumour in mice[218]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh plant[4]. It is used in the treatment of nose bleeds and urinary calculus[7]. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepherd's Purse for nose bleeds, premenstrual syndrome, wounds & burns (see [302] for critics of commission E).

The seed, when placed in water, attracts mosquitoes. It has a gummy substance that binds the insects mouth to the seed[201]. The seed also releases a substance toxic to the larvae. ½ kilo of seed is said to be able to kill 10 million larvae[172]. Plants can be grown on salty or marshy land in order to reclaim it by absorbing the salt and 'sweetening' the soil[201]. Birds are very fond of the seeds of shepherd's purse[201]. Dynamic accumulator.

Special Uses