Shepherd's purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris · 荠菜
Herbs & Roots. Western & European, Chinese Medicine and Dr. Sebi's list.
Also called Pickpocket, Mother's heart, Clappedepouch
Pinyin: Jì Cài
Spanish: Bolsa de pastor
Not for use in pregnancyA small weed with heart-shaped seed pods, used as a tea for minor bleeding and eaten as a wild green.
Did you know? Its flat seed pods are shaped like the small leather purses that shepherds once carried, which gave the plant its name.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Women's health. Used for heavy periods and bleeding after birth. Traditional only, with no good human trials.Traditional proof
- Wounds, burns & bites. Used to stop minor bleeding from cuts and nosebleeds. Traditional, with little testing.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
European herbalists used it to stop bleeding after birth, during heavy periods, and from nosebleeds. In China it is widely eaten as a wild green.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Hemostatic, Astringent. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Tea is made from dried or fresh tops. It is also eaten as a cooked green. No standard medicinal dose exists.
Tea, food and tincture.
Where to get it
A common weed of fields, lawns, and roadsides worldwide. Pick it from clean ground or buy dried herb and tinctures from herb shops.
Be careful
Amounts eaten as food are generally safe, but medicinal amounts are not well tested. Avoid it in pregnancy, since folk use linked it to uterine contractions. If you take blood thinners or have a clotting disorder, talk to a doctor first.
Avoid if: pregnancy; blood clot disorders.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Both have been used in folk remedies for heavy bleeding.
- Works well together
Both are traditional styptic herbs used for minor bleeding.
- Use cautionBlood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
It may help blood clot, which works against blood thinners.
Adds up with others that may slow blood clotting: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 40 more.
The honest take
Shepherd's purse is a common wild green that is safe as food. Its use to stop bleeding rests on old herbal books, with little modern proof. Use it as food or as a short tea, and see a doctor for heavy bleeding.