This is a tough little weed happily growing in gardens, on verges, amongst the cracks in paving and anywhere on your drive you rather it didn't. After establishing itself, it soon sends up a flowering stem which rapidly leads to the heart shaped seeds giving it the name Shepherd's Purse.

Although C. bursa-pastoris is an introduced plant (an Archeophyte introduced before 1500 AD), apart from the tops of some far northern mountains this little plant is found everywhere in the British Isles and Ireland.

Roadside verge, Cheshire, 24th September 2004

Added on November 8th 200, updated 20th November 2008, updated 10th March 2010, updated June 1st 2011