Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
Medicinal Profile of
Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
Shepherd’s Purse is a small but powerful herb traditionally used for acute bleeding, particularly heavy menstrual flow, postpartum hemorrhage, and nosebleeds. With astringent and styptic actions, it rapidly tones blood vessels and tissues. It is cooling, drying, and stabilizing, making it most helpful in states of excess bleeding or lax tissue tone. It has also been used for urinary tract irritation and mild circulatory support. Best used short-term and acutely during bleeding episodes rather than as a daily tonic.
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👉 Tastes describe the initial impression a food or herb leaves on the tongue, and they reveal its deeper actions in the body, shaping digestion, circulation, and tissue response.
Bitter – Stimulates digestion and mildly clears heat.
Astringent – Tones and tightens tissues, helping slow bleeding.
Pungent (faint) – Lightly circulates and moves stagnation.
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👉Qualities describe the felt nature of a substance or practice, and how it acts in the body beyond nutrients or chemistry.
Drying – Reduces excess fluids and dampness.
Stabilizing – Soothes irritation, steadies overactive bleeding responses.
Constraining – Helps contain and hold fluids within vessels and tissues.
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Acute heavy menstruation: Taken at onset and continued until bleeding moderates.
Postpartum: Traditionally used shortly after birth to reduce uterine bleeding.
Nosebleeds/topical: Strong tea applied as a wash or compress to bleeding wounds.
Synergy: Often combined with Lady’s Mantle or Yarrow for uterine bleeding, or with Witch Hazel externally for hemorrhoids.
Indicated Patterns by Affinity
👉 Indicated patterns describe the functional state of the body and its organs and/or tissues, showing whether they are dry, atrophied, too damp (pressure), stagnant, lax, inflammed, sluggish, tense or underactive. The Primary Indicated Pattern is the main state where this remedy works best. Secondary Indicated Pattern(s) are the patterns that often develop over time when the primary state is left unaddressed. The primary pattern must be supported first, as this allows the secondary patterns to naturally ease or resolve.
👉Affinities are the organ systems and tissues where the remedy acts most strongly.
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Leaky (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When tissue laxity leads to excessive bleeding or discharge. Examples: Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia), Postpartum hemorrhage (traditional use), Profuse uterine discharge.
Inflammatory (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When heat worsens bleeding or irritation in reproductive tissues. Examples: Hot, painful periods with flooding, Irritated vaginal membranes with heat signs, Inflamed uterine bleeding with clots.
Prolapse (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When uterine tone is weak and tissues sag. Examples: Uterine prolapse with bleeding tendency, Pelvic weakness after childbirth.
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Leaky (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When bladder tone is weak, leading to leakage or excess flow. Examples: Stress incontinence, Postpartum urinary weakness, Mild dribbling after urination.
Inflammatory (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When heat inflames urinary membranes. Examples: Burning urination, Hot, irritated bladder with bleeding, Inflamed cystitis-type presentations.
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Leaky (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When vessel tone is weak, leading to bleeding or fluid escape. Examples: Nosebleeds, Bleeding gums, Easy bruising.
Congestive Pressure (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When sluggish circulation combines with vascular stress. Examples: Varicose veins, Heaviness in legs with vascular strain, Hemorrhoids with bleeding.
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Leaky (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When weak gut tone leads to fluid loss. Examples: Diarrhea with atonic bowels, Post-infectious watery stool, Gut bleeding in fragile terrains.
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👉 Medicinal actions describe the specific ways a food influences organ systems and body functions.
Reproductive & Circulatory Systems
Styptic – Rapidly reduces or stops bleeding by constricting blood vessels.
Astringent – Tones tissues, reduces fluid leakage.
Uterine Tonic – Restores tone to the uterus, especially postpartum.
Vascular Tonic – Supports vein and capillary strength, useful for hemorrhoids and varicosities.
Digestive System
Astringent (digestive) – Firms loose stool and helps reduce diarrhea.
Anti-inflammatory (gut) – Calms irritated intestinal mucosa with excess mucus or blood.
Hemostatic (GI) – Traditionally used for bleeding hemorrhoids or minor GI bleeding.
Urinary System
Anti-hemorrhagic – Helps control blood in urine.
Astringent (urinary) – Reduces excessive urinary discharge, tones bladder tissues.
Anti-inflammatory (mild) – Soothes irritated urinary mucosa.
Integumentary System (Topical)
Wound Styptic – Applied externally as poultice or wash to stop bleeding.
Astringent (topical) – Tones and tightens lax, weepy, or damp skin tissues; helps dry and firm wounds, rashes, or oozing eruptions.
Anti-inflammatory (skin) – Eases rashes or damp eruptions when applied as a wash.
Styptic (external) – Constricts blood vessels and stops minor bleeding when applied to cuts, scrapes, or nosebleeds.
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👉 Constituents are the natural compounds in a food that give rise to its actions in the body.
Flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin) – Vascular protective, anti-inflammatory.
Tannins – Strong astringent effect.
Choline & acetylcholine – May contribute to uterine activity.
Peptides – Some hemostatic activity demonstrated.
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Tea/Infusion: 2nd–3rd Degree – good for uterine or urinary bleeding.
Glycerite Extract (1:5): 3rd Degree – concentrated, best for acute heavy bleeding.
Topical Wash/Compress: 3rd Degree – direct styptic action.
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May potentiate anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs (warfarin, aspirin, etc.).
Avoid combining with other hemostatic drugs without supervision.
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Pregnancy: Not advised during pregnancy except under supervision for postpartum bleeding.
Long-term use: Not recommended; best suited for short-term, acute use.
May aggravate dryness if used excessively in atrophic states.
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Traditional Sources
Grieve, M. (1931). A Modern Herbal. London: Jonathan Cape. (Notes Shepherd’s Purse as a powerful styptic for uterine bleeding and nosebleeds).
Culpeper, N. (1653). The Complete Herbal. (Describes its use for wounds, bleeding, and urinary complaints).
Weiss, R. F. (1988). Herbal Medicine. Ab Arcanum Press. (Discusses its application in gynecological bleeding and vascular support).
Modern Sources
Blumenthal, M., et al. (2000). Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Integrative Medicine Communications. (Summarizes safety and efficacy of Shepherd’s Purse in bleeding disorders).
Bone, K., & Mills, S. (2013). Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine. Churchill Livingstone. (Details pharmacology and clinical uses for acute uterine bleeding).
Yarnell, E. (2001). “Botanical medicines for the treatment of women’s health conditions.” Alternative Medicine Review, 6(1), 27–47. (Includes Shepherd’s Purse for menorrhagia and postpartum hemorrhage).
Vlachojannis, J., et al. (2011). “Safety and efficacy of Capsella bursa-pastoris in obstetrics and gynecology: A review.” Phytotherapy Research, 25(4), 455–460.
