How to Grow Shepherd's Purses UK

When to Plant Shepherd'S Purses in the UK

When to plant shepherd's purses in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to early April. Find your area in the table below.

Region	Sow
Southern England	early March to early April
Midlands	early March to early April
Northern England	early March to early April
Scotland	early March to early April

Southern England - detail & sources

RHS: sow 6mm deep in early spring, with no UK-region-specific dates given; this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Midlands - detail & sources

RHS: sow 6mm deep in early spring, with no UK-region-specific dates given; this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Northern England - detail & sources

RHS: sow 6mm deep in early spring, with no UK-region-specific dates given; this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Scotland - detail & sources

RHS: sow 6mm deep in early spring, with no UK-region-specific dates given; this window is applied across all four sub-regions rather than inventing a north/south gradient the source does not support.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	5 - 8
Soil texture	chalk, clay, loam or sand (RHS)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	annual or biennial
Edible parts	leaves, seeds, flowering shoots, root

At a Glance

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: moist but well-drained or well-drained (RHS)

Soil pH range

5 8

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Sow seed 6mm deep in early spring; self-sows readily once established (RHS, Alibaba Gardening).
Rosette formation	1	Forms a rosette of toothed leaves, often overwintering (RHS).
Flowering	6	Tiny white flowers bloom spring through autumn on stems to 50cm (RHS).
Seed pod / harvest	8	Distinctive heart-shaped seed pods follow; harvest leaf rosettes at ~10cm for salads before flowering (RHS, PFAF).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Harvest rosettes at around 10cm height for salads, before flowering, for the mildest cress-like flavour; leaves also usable cooked (cabbage-like taste). Seeds can be ground for flavouring; root can be dug fresh or dried as a ginger substitute (PFAF).

Diseases

White blister

low

Albugo candida

RHS names this directly: may be susceptible to white blister.

Shepherd's Purse, from Rosette to Seed Pod

A tough, self-seeding rosette

RHS: a tough annual or biennial forming a rosette of toothed leaves, native to GB/Ireland and now near-cosmopolitan, thriving even in cracks between paving.

Best harvested before flowering

PFAF: young leaves are best added to salads before flowering, with rosettes harvested at around 10cm for the mildest, cress-like flavour.

The heart-shaped pods that name it

RHS: tiny white flowers, blooming spring through autumn, are followed by the plant's distinctive heart-shaped seed pods.

Hardy across the whole UK

RHS rates Shepherd's Purse H6 for hardiness -- hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe, down to -20°C.

Generally pest-free

RHS: generally pest-free, though it may be susceptible to white blister -- one of the lowest-maintenance edible weeds on this site.

What the research guides add

Shepherd’s purse is a common annual weed that is also edible, and NC State notes how hardy it is.

• A herbaceous annual in the mustard family that prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade; it tolerates drought, shade and soil compaction, and temperatures down to 10°F. (NC State Extension)
• Seeds germinate in spring and fall; each seedpod holds around 20 seeds, and the plant spreads by self-seeding. (NC State Extension)
• The leaves, seeds and flowering shoots are edible raw or cooked; young leaves are best added to salads before flowering. (NC State Extension)

Sources for this section

• NC State Extension: Capsella bursa-pastoris (Plant Toolbox)

Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

References

1. PFAF (Plants For A Future) - Capsella bursa-pastoris Shepherd's Purse

   A secondary gardening reference rather than a university or horticultural authority, used only for edible-parts/harvest detail RHS's weed-advice page does not cover, not contradicted by it. Leaves, seeds and flowering shoots are edible, raw or cooked. Before flowering, young leaves can be added to salads; rosettes are best harvested at around 10cm height. Leaves and flowers taste cress-like raw or cabbage-like cooked. Seeds can be ground and used for flavouring in soups; fresh or dried root can substitute for ginger.

2. Plants For A Future (PFAF) - Capsella bursa-pastoris

   PFAF entry for Capsella bursa-pastoris. Fetched and parsed directly for the USDA hardiness rating.

3. Royal Horticultural Society - Capsella bursa-pastoris | shepherd's purse

   A tough, annual or biennial plant producing a rosette of toothed leaves, with tiny white flowers blooming spring through autumn, followed by distinctive heart-shaped seed pods. Native to GB/Ireland. Hardiness H6 (hardy in all of UK and northern Europe, -20 to -15°C). Full sun or partial shade. Soil: chalk, clay, loam or sand; acid, alkaline or neutral pH; moist but well-drained or well-drained. Height 0.1-0.5m, spread 0-0.1m. Time to maturity 1 year. Produces vast quantities of seed throughout the year; seedlings self-sow readily and are easily removed if unwanted. Generally pest-free. May be susceptible to white blister, a leaf disease affecting Brassicaceae plants. Also serves as food for small birds.

4. Useful Temperate Plants - Capsella bursa-pastoris

   Mirrors FAO Ecocrop. Fetched and parsed directly for the numeric soil pH range.

4 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.