IDENTIFICATION
Annual or winter annual.
Shepherd's-purse is a spindly-looking plant with hairy stems and
tiny white flowers clustered at the ends of slender, spreading stalks.
The stalks lengthen as the seeds develop inside heart-shaped, flattened
pods. Simple upper leaves clasp the stems and lower leaves are deeply
lobed.
DAMAGE
This weed can seriously reduce crop yield in cultivated fields, row crops,
hayfields, and pastures. It is a host to many viral diseases as well as
a fungus that attacks vegetables in the Mustard family.
HABITAT
Shepherd's-purse grows under a wide range of environmental conditions.
It is found in cultivated fields, gardens, roadsides, and other disturbed
areas, and is commonly found on logged areas. It grows in all agricultural
regions of the province.
SPREAD
Seeds can be dispersed through ingestion by birds or animals, or spread
on vehicles, equipment, or in hay. One plant can produce up to 40,000
seeds.
